Mary Edwards Walker: Above and Beyond

by Dale L. Walker

Mary Edwards Walker (1832-1919) defied the conventions of her era. Born and raised on a farm in Oswego, New York, Walker became one of a handful of female physicians in the nation-and became a passionate believer in the rights of women.
Despite the derision of her contemporaries, Walker championed freedom of dress. She wore slacks-or "bloomers" as they were popularly known-rather than the corsets and voluminous ground-dragging petticoats and dresses she believed were unhygenic and injurious to health. She lectured and campaigned for woman's suffrage and for prohibition, and against tobacco, traditional male-dominated marriage vows, and any issue involving the sublimation of her sex.
From the outset of the Civil War, Walker volunteered her services as a physician. Despite almost universal opposition from army commanders and field surgeons, Walker served at Manassas, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Chickamauga, and other bloody theaters of the war. She ministered to wounded and maimed soldiers and civilians on both sides of the conflict. Captured by Confederates near Chattanooga in 1864, she served four months in a Southern prison hellhole where she nursed and tended to wounded prisoners of war.
For her services in the war, in 1865 Mary Edwards Walker was awarded the Medal of Honor, becoming the only woman in American history to receive the nation's highest award for military valor.

Genres: History, Civil War, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2005

Reviews

[Janette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting lady

[Tara]

Audiobook.

[Nance Roepke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't feel that this book did her justice. I want to find a better written book.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Edwards Walker was an extraordinary woman of immense fortitude and energy, who only wanted to be a medical doctor any way that she could. So Mary joins the ranks of Civil War doctors only to be treated (by upper brass) as an irritating claimant to a position she had no right, as a woman, to attain. Mary was given the Medal of Valor, had it rescinded, and reinstated decades later. Mary is a woman who helped blaze a trail for future women, sadly, that trail closed up behind her and women continue to hack another trail decade after decade.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biography of an unusual and fascinating American woman who was a medical doctor during the American Civil War--the only recipient of the Medal of Honor. Turned away at every try, she volunteered and persisted to become a war surgeon and was thwarted by male MDs who did want a woman in that role. There is little written that survives on her, she did not write a diary for instance, so was the author factual? From the author's conclusions, I learned a lot about 19th century USA while listening to this audiobook.

[Trudy Pomerantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for a number of reasons. I found the subject interesting although, as mentioned early in the book, not a huge amount is known about her life since she did not keep a diary and only occasional records and other writings. As a result, the author sketched in a lot of background detail on what was going on societally and in the Civil War. I thought this was effective since it gave the story context and was a good introduction to the time. Many biographies assume that you have an extensive historical knowledge which can make them somewhat frustrating to read.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was a rebel in her day who led and an exceptional life which unfortunately was not fully appreciated until after her death. Although she has an amazing story, this book did not do it justice. It was poorly written and based on the author's best guesses of what happened during chunks of this woman's life not actual fact.

[Nicole Marble · Rating 3 out of 5]

A biography of an unusual and fascinating American woman who was a medical doctor during the American Civil War and was a winner of the Medal of Honor.
Poorly written and worse read - it is still an interesting story.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author had loess to say about the subject and more to say about people and events surronding the true make up of this complicated woman. I will not not recommend this book to others.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting subject matter; poor presentation. Book was repetitive, often speculative, and poorly edited.