Customer Reviews

A Half Acre of Hell: A Combat Nurse in WW II

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This book was a definite eye-opener. I read it at age 17, and was aghast at the horrors of Anzio and inspired by the nurses who served there. This book gave me a glimpse of the true nature of nursing, and largely because of this book, I entered nursing school a year later. I'm now a Registered Nurse, and this book has an honored spot on my bookshelves. A definite must-read.

This is the moving, very personal story of a young nurse from Iowa who found herself in the some of the worst fighting of all of World War II. I found the book fascinating and very easy to read. The story has never been told before, and since the author is the last of the 26 nurses who landed at Anzio, it will surely never be told again.

The book presents a realistic description of the extreme hardships endured by Army Nurses in Italy during WWII.

My wife is an Registered Nurse and I am a combat veteran. I bought this book for my wife to take on our trip to Hawaii. She could not put it down, and later, neither could I. From both our life experiences, this book rang true and was gripping. Having been written by a Minnesotan made it all the more enjoyable.

A Half Acre Of Hell: A Combat Nurse In WW II is the personal memoir and eye-witness testimony of Avid Schorer, a woman who served the U.S. Army Nurse Corps from March 1942 to January 1946. The military hospital where she served gained the ill nickname "Hell's Half Acre" due to its bombardment by Axis forces. An unflinching narrative of courage, strength, mercy, and service amidst the terrible toll of war itself, A Half Acre Of Hell is a strongly recommended addition to academic, and community library World War II Military History collections and personal reading lists.

The book, A Half Acre of Hell, expresses a view that isn't often seen. The view is that of a World War II combat nurse. It is written by Avis Schorer based on her first hand account of the war. This book gives in great detail where a nurse traveled during the war and what places she got to see. It is made interesting through the use of major historic events connected to where the author was at that time. Also, the book is interesting because the reader gets to see many of the daily aspects of war, not just an overview. This book would not be a good read for some one expecting a war book based around tactics or combat, although some are included. It is more a journal of events. The book is easy to follow and good for anyone interested in a nurse's account of the war.

My Mother was part of the 2nd Auxiliary Group (the 2nd Aux)on Anzio Beach. For my entire life,I heard Mother's stories from that time, especially the non-stop shelling and bombing on Anzio. During one of bombings, a piece of shrapnel tore through her tent and missed her by inches. She carried that shrapnel with her for the rest of her life, and now I carry it with me. She was never the same after Anzio, like many other people who had to endure that trauma.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants an up-close-and-personal description of life as a combat nurse.

I loved this book. I am a nurse and have recently discovered an interest in nursing history. This book has so much to offer in how nurses were utilized in WW2. They were unprepared for what they had to endure and what they had to see. It was amazing what these young girls did. I have read several of these WW2 nursing books and it is interesting to see the cross references to many of the same people, commanders and experiences, just from different viewpoints. This is an excellent book and keeps your interest from page to page. Thank you Ms. Schorer for writing it.

I felt like I was there step by step with the valiant nurses who risked their lives to help wounded soldiers in need. Ms. Schorer does a good job of describing their journey to Italy and the horrendous and terrifying conditions they endured.