This was a wonderfully thorough book about the life and work of Florence Nightingale. I was astounded by the depth and breadth of her work to revolutionize how the sick and injured were cared for. I did have a bit of a problem where the book characterized "the main aim of British rule in India was to maintain law and order, stop bandits, settle disputes and COLLECT THE TAXES NEEDED TO PAY FOR THE ARMY, POLICE AND OTHER OFFICIALS" (emphasis added). The British aim in India was exploitation pure and simple. I could go on, but that was a single page in an otherwise excellent book. There was a bevy of additional resources in the back and a helpful timeline. This would be a great book when discussing the Crimean War, or the development of medical practices. (I also might suggest reading that insert about the British and India before reading a biography of Mahatma Ghandi).
Reading Level: 6.5 Interest Level: 3-6 ( )

I really liked this book for the fact that it showed a strong independent woman. Throughout the entire book Florence was always her own person and never had to be lead by any man or woman. She made such wonderful contributions to the nursing field that still help us today. Florence was a woman wise beyond her time and she knew that she had to change many things for sake of the people around her. She had that in mind and went forward doing her work. This would be a great book for students to use as a reference in the history of medicine. ( )