Florence Nightingale : Avenging Angel

Daily Telegraph

A masterly piece of historical detective work...A compelling psychological portrait.

Library Journal

In 1854, Florence Nightingale sailed from England with 38 nurses, bound for the Scutari barracks in Constantinople and the Crimean War. Two years later, she returned a world figure: Queen Victoria sent her an inscribed brooch, and a public subscription raised over a million pounds to fund the training of hospital nurses. Then, at age 37, Nightingale collapsed and remained an invalid for ten years. Basing his study on extensive research into previously unpublished material, Small (a London-based management consultant) attributes Nightingale's collapse to her discovery that her well-publicized nursing efforts at Scutari had made no difference: "[She] had not been running a hospital. She had been running a death camp." The real culprits, he notes, were bad drains, overcrowding, and poor ventilation. Once past her distress, Nightingale moved to expose the government cover-up. This book should reestablish Nightingale as a major figure in 19th-century health reform. Recommended for scholarly collections and larger general collections.--David Keymer, California State Univ., Stanislaus Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Booknews

Drawing on recent scholarship, an independent British researcher dispels myths surrounding Nightingale (1820-1910). Shedding light on the development of public health and democracy in Britain as well as Nightingale's mysterious breakdown at age 37, the author constructs a case for an official cover-up of a disaster at her hospital during the Crimean War. Includes photos of key figures and a cover painting of her receiving the wounded at Scutari. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)