Civil War Medicine: Care & Comfort of the Wounded [Paperback]

Robert E. Denney (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0806908807 | ISBN-13: 978-0806908809 | Publication Date: October 1995 | Edition: 1

The horror and hardship of the sick and wounded in the American Civil War and those who cared for them are described in this work as a day-by-day account. It presents the history of the medical services on both sides of the War, using excerpts from letters, diaries and journals.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Denney, author of The Civil War Years: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of the Life of a Nation (Sterling, 1992), presents a similar overview of the war's medical history. A brief prolog and epilog complement a virtual day-by-day collection of short excerpts or paraphrases from original sources. Unfortunately, the chronological organization imposes a bland sameness on the narrative, and, with few editorial comments provided, the reader is left mystified by the overall significance of the sources selected. Although a three-page bibliography is appended, the author has omitted citations for the individual narratives. The heroic efforts of doctors and nurses to transform battlefield medicine and the misery and privations of soldiers on both sides of the conflict should be honored by a far better book. A more successful compilation of original sources is In Hospital and Camp: The Civil War Through the Eyes of Its Doctors and Nurses (LJ 2/15/93), edited by Harold E. Straubing, and two classics-Horace H. Cunningham's Doctors in Gray: The Confederate Medical Service (1958) and George W. Adams's Doctors in Blue (1952)-remain professional and readable histories.
Kathy Arsenault, Univ. of South Florida Lib., St. Petersburg
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Denney affords an excellent panorama of what military and civilian medical and sanitary efforts meant to soldiers on both sides of the Civil War. His chronological presentation shows how lessons were learned--or not--and how the procedures of individuals and groups and the treatment of individual patients developed. Most of the text consists of the words of those involved, which gives a feeling of personal participation; Denney provides brief, necessary introductions to set events in context and in which he describes planning for upcoming battles by surgeons stationed at every level of command, from that of an entire army down to that of the unit. Denney shows thereby the often laborious provision and arrangement of needed personnel, facilities, and supplies. Among particular workers' efforts, the efficient but often excruciating labors of litter bearers and ambulance drivers are graphically presented. The account of how hospital boats and trains were used--an aspect of the medical effort that is not widely known--is another of the best aspects of an informative and fascinating book. William Beatty --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Sterling Pub Co Inc; 1 edition (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806908807
• ISBN-13: 978-0806908809
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,766,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Amateur effort with a repetitive stride, November 2, 2007

By 

Alexander (Hobbytown, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Civil War Medicine: Care & Comfort of the Wounded (Hardcover)

With the 2 star rating, it's rather obvious that I was disappointed with this book. Here's why...

The topic is intriguing, but the narrative isn't. The repetitive snippets chosen by the author are at times so bland, I can't imagine why he even included them. And the sequencing of some items at times just doesn't make sense.

I found myself reading just a few pages and thinking "that's enough". There's nothing compelling to keep the reader involved; I'm sorry, but page after page after page after page of entries similar to, 'the wounded were laid out in a barn. We didn't have any water for them. Some linen was found in a drawer and we made bandages' just doesn't do it for me.

I have a high interest level in Civil War medicine, but this item drained my enthusiasm for the topic.

This book represents an amateur effort that completely lacks any cohesion, other than its progressive calendar entries.

I ploughed through as far as I could, but just couldn't finish it off - pass.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars civil war medicine, May 25, 2010

By 

Lowell Thomas (SE Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Civil War Medicine: Care & Comfort of the Wounded (Paperback)

Oh my god, was it really that bad!! The use of original writing combined with contemporary comments makes reading this book highly informative for any reader.
I'm teaching myself background knowledge in order to be a better Civil War surgeon re-enactor.
2nd Lt. Lowell Thomas 88th Regt Penn. Vol. Inf. Medical Service

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Full of firsthand accounts., September 15, 2000

By 

"holtrk" (Fort Worth, Tx USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Civil War Medicine: Care & Comfort of the Wounded (Paperback)

This book is especially great if you have an ancestor that was wounded in battle. Since the book is full of firsthand accounts in chronological order, you can get a feel of what your ancestor went through. In my own case, I discovered that my GG-Grandfather probably laid on the field for a day and a half before he received any treatment. Then he had to probably endure a very rugged ambulance ride some 15 mile to a hospital that was badly overcrowded.