Medics at War: Military Medicine from Colonial Times to the 21st Century [Hardcover]

John T. Greenwood (Author), F. Clifton Berry Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2005

This handsomely produced over-sized book, which will feature more than 180 photographs, will honor the critical role of frontline medical personnel in the success of the US military from colonial times to the present. The presence of trained medical personnel with every combat unit is a vital source of reassurance to soldiers. They know that if they are wounded or injured the medics will do everything possible to save them, even to the point of sacrificing their own lives. Many medics have in fact died trying to assist wounded soldiers. The presence of medical personnel constitutes an important element of American combat power.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

F. Clifton Berry Jr. saw combat in Vietnam as operations officer of a light infantry brigade. He also commanded two rifle companies, an infantry battalion and served at the Office of the Secretary of Defense and State Department. He has written or contributed to more than twenty books including United States Army at War: 9/11 through Iraq. John T. Greenwood, is the Chief of the Office of Medical History at the Office of the Surgeon General/HQ U.S. Army Medical Command and the author of Milestones of Aviation.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 214 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (May 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591143446
• ISBN-13: 978-1591143444
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,549,683 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite surprise, August 16, 2005

By 

Charles A. Krohn (Panama City Beach, Florida) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Medics at War: Military Medicine from Colonial Times to the 21st Century (Hardcover)

I started reading this book thinking it was a kind of encyclopedia, a reference work of facts and dates explaining the evolution of military medicine. If it were only that, it would still be a useful book for a military writer or health soecialist. But soon into it, I found one surprise after another describing events, discoveries, personalities and even trivia suitable for inclusion in Guinness Book of Records. It's probably a stretch to say this book reads like a thriller, but it does record the genius, exertion and good luck of a lot of smart and brave men and women of all walks of life. It's a splendid gift for someone who likes to read and understand how we got from there to here. And it takes in a lot more than just military medicine, trauma and disease. It captures the whole field, including personality clashes, innovation and invention.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Daunting Task Summarizing US Military Medical History, May 21, 2007

By 

K. Davey "Ken Davey" (Hopewell, Jct., New York United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Medics at War: Military Medicine from Colonial Times to the 21st Century (Hardcover)

Medics at War provides a succinct and impressive overview of US military medicine from the Colonial era to the present. With 214 pages and numerous photographs, the book includes the Revolutionary War, Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War and operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Both Army and Navy medical corps are well represented and coverage of Air Force medicine can be read in later chapters.

Authors Greenwood and Berry should be commended for inclusion of WWII amphibious medicine during the 6 June 1944 Normandy landings. Few military historians write of the Navy's vital role during combined operations. Previous authors often identified Navy surgeons and corpsmen on Omaha Beach as Army personnel.

It is important to clarify the 6th Naval Beach Battalion casualty rate reported in the book. Four officers, all Beachmasters, and 18 enlisted men were killed in action 6 June 1944. Twelve battalion officers and 55 enlisted men were seriously injured. Dr. John F. Kincaid, USNR survived the invasion but was killed in action less than a year later during a kamikaze attack off Okinawa. Dr. J. Russell Davey, USNR was injured on D-Day, continued his humanitarian duties on the beach, but unfortunately died at home in 1948.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Historic Reference, December 30, 2011

By 

Professor Figley - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Medics at War: Military Medicine from Colonial Times to the 21st Century (Hardcover)

Definitive, though including much more than "medics." I am still not sure which was created first, Army medics or Navy hospital corpsmen. Good read.