G. I. Nightingales: The Army Nurse Corps in World War II [Hardcover]

Barbara Tomblin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1996

"Weaving together information from official sources and personal interviews, Barbara Tomblin gives the first full-length account of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps in the Second World War. She describes how over 60,000 army nurses, all volunteers, cared for sick and wounded American soldiers in every theater of the war, serving in the jungles of the Southwest Pacific, the frozen reaches of Alaska and Iceland, the mud of Italy and northern Europe, or the heat and dust of the Middle East. Many of the women in the Army Nurse Corps served in dangerous hospitals near the front lines—201 nurses were killed by accident or enemy action, and another 1,600 won decorations for meritorious service. These nurses address the extreme difficulties of dealing with combat and its effects in World War II, and their stories are all the more valuable to women’s and military historians because they tell of the war from a very different viewpoint than that of male officers. Although they were unable to achieve full equality for American women in the military during World War II, army nurses did secure equal pay allowances and full military rank, and they proved beyond a doubt their ability and willingness to serve and maintain excellent standards of nursing care under difficult and often dangerous conditions.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Tomblin (history, Rutgers Univ.) has written an account of the 80,000 army nurses who served during World War II. These nurses participated in every theater of the war; some died while on duty, and many were decorated for their bravery. Along with their deserving stories, the reader learns the history of women nurses in the military. Tomblin allows the nurses to tell their stories in their own words, describing everything from operating room procedures to their participation in the Normandy invasion. The writing is engaging and should have broad appeal for everyone interested in World War II.?Dorothy Lilly, Grosse Pointe North H.S. Lib., Mich.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Tomblin's admirable narrative history of the U.S. Army nurses of World War II avoids the Procrustean theoretical apparatus of gender studies to straightforwardly tell who did what, where and when. The Army Nurse Corps, originally with rather than in the army, was reorganized and expanded just in time for World War II. After reporting that development, Tomblin follows the nurses from the vast Pacific to the intense European to the miseries of the China-Burma-India theaters of war. She also recalls the work of the nurses who held the fort at army hospitals back home and the particular story of African American nurses, who suffered discrimination during the war and oblivion afterward. Tomblin's modest volume (considering the potential size of the subject) makes a thoroughly readable addition to World War II and women's studies collections. Roland Green

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 254 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky (April 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813119510
• ISBN-13: 978-0813119519
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #271,008 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Barbara Brooks Tomblin is a naval historian and the author of G.I. Nightingales: The Army Nurse Coprs in World War II; With Utmost Spirit: Allied Naval Operations in the Mediterranean, 1942-45; and Bluejackets and Contrabands: African Americans and the Union Navy, as well as articles on American military and naval history. She holds a doctorate in American History from Rutgers University where she also taught courses in military history.

Find more information out about Barbara Tomblin at www.barbaratomblin.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, February 14, 2010

By 

S. A. Camp (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: G.I. Nightingales: The Army Nurse Corps in World War II (Paperback)

I purchased this for my 80 year old neighbor who was a WWII Nurse. She thought is was a great read and keeps going back and reading different sections. She really has enjoyed this book and would recomment it for anyone who is interested in WWII Nurses.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars G.I. Nightingales, July 8, 2011

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Catherine D. Fleischman - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: G.I. Nightingales: The Army Nurse Corps in World War II (Paperback)

Fabulous book about a subject rarely covered. Good to see the women from World War II getting a bit of recognition.