A brilliant collection of memoirs in chronological order, detailing the lives, times and experiences of wounded men, RMO's, surgeons, Padres and nurses in the Great War. Very impressive writing and inventive use of primary and secondary sources. Very interesting history and a must for those with an interest in the history of medicine. ( )

I have read many books, fiction and nonfiction, in search of information on medical practices in World War I. I have found some good books, but this--this is the volume I was seeking all along. Mayhew relies heavily on primary source material to describe the nurses, doctors, and personnel who labored among the injured in the trenches. It's brutal, ugly, and beautiful all at once. The true face of humanity emerges amidst the darkest, most dire of circumstances.

Chapters focus on different aspects of the journey: the point of view of those who were injured in various ways; the stretcher-bearers, so often ignored in chronicles of the war; regimental medical officers; surgeons; nurses; orderlies; chaplains; ambulance trains; railway stations where the wounded were piled; and the London Ambulance Column.

Mayhew's extensive citations will provide me with a great deal of additional research material as well.

If you have an interest in--and the stomach for--the evolution of medicine a century ago, do check out this book. It's a quick and engrossing read, and one that will enlighten you. ( )