From Booklist
In nearly 400 pages of densely written and printed text, retired navy nurse Sterner provides what likely will stand for some time as the definitive history of the Navy Nurse Corps. Inspired by the American Red Cross Nursing Service, the navy founded the corps in 1908, and navy nurses have served in ever more responsible positions and in larger numbers in every war since. The corps gave the navy the first female admiral and produced many remarkable and hitherto obscure leaders. Its members survived captivity as POWs as well as harassment and lack of cooperation from their superiors, and they generally pulled their weight even when some would rather have seen them fail. Sterner assumes enough background knowledge of U.S. naval history and women's issues on the reader's part for the book to be less than completely easy reading for those lacking it, but those willing to do catch-up study while reading Sterner will find the whole experience abundantly rewarding. Roland Green
