Book Description
In Florence Nightingale’s day, if a person was sick – and lucky – he or she was nursed at home with caring family members tending the bedside. Hospitals were horrible places from which few emerged alive. The nurses were often drunks and prostitutes. Doctors had rudimentary skills.

Thus the privileged Nightingale family was appalled when Florence, who had done her share of household nursing, announced that she wanted to train to work in a hospital. After all, her role was cut out for her: she was to be a decorative, witty lady. A career, much less nursing, was out of the question.

It took many years, but Florence found her calling in Crimea. More English soldiers died of sickness there than died in battle. If they were wounded they were almost sure to suffer in misery, lying on pallets caked with old blood, hungry and thirsty, without anyone to offer them so much as a sip of water. Florence caused a revolution in her insistence for cleanliness, wholesome food, and kind treatment of men, who were considered to be nothing more than cannon fodder.

Florence’s campaign resulted in reforms to health care for millions of people. Although she was in frail health for much of her life, her sense of outrage and her extraordinary stamina in the face of prejudice and almost criminal ignorance make her story one of the most inspiring in history.

Dozens of photographs, posters, and cartoons bring the past to life in this memorable biography.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An informative biography of Florence Nightingale
Ages 11 and older will find Heart and Soul an appealing and informative biography of Florence Nightingale, using photos, posters, cartoons and maps throughout to help tell her story. The focus on her life and times provides a wider-ranging biography than is usually presented and gives kids a solid view of her world. ... Read more

Book Description
A selection from miss Nightingale's addresses to probationers and nurses of the nightingale school at St. Thomases Hospital ... Read more

Book Description
Florence Nightingale was for a time the most famous woman in Britain–if not the world. We know her today primarily as a saintly character, perhaps as a heroic reformer of Britain’s health-care system. The reality is more involved and far more fascinating. In an utterly beguiling narrative that reads like the best Victorian fiction, acclaimed author Gillian Gill tells the story of this richly complex woman and her extraordinary family.
Born to an adoring wealthy, cultivated father and a mother whose conventional facade concealed a surprisingly unfettered intelligence, Florence was connected by kinship or friendship to the cream of Victorian England’s intellectual aristocracy. Though moving in a world of ease and privilege, the Nightingales came from solidly middle-class stock with deep traditions of hard work, natural curiosity, and moral clarity. So it should have come as no surprise to William Edward and Fanny Nightingale when their younger daughter, Florence, showed an early passion for helping others combined with a precocious bent for power.
Far more problematic was Florence’s inexplicable refusal to marry the well-connected Richard Monckton Milnes. As Gill so brilliantly shows, this matrimonial refusal was at once an act of religious dedication and a cry for her freedom–as a woman and as a leader. Florence’s later insistence on traveling to the Crimea at the height of war to tend to wounded soldiers was all but incendiary–especially for her older sister, Parthenope, whose frustration at being in the shade of her more charismatic sibling often led to illness.
Florence succeeded beyond her wildest dreams. But at the height of her celebrity, at the age of thirty-seven, she retired to her bedroom and remained there for most of the rest of her life, allowing visitors only by appointment.
Combining biography, politics, social history, and consummate storytelling, Nightingales is a dazzling portrait of an amazing woman, her difficult but loving family, and the high Victorian era they so perfectly epitomized. Beautifully written, witty, and irresistible, Nightingales is truly a tour de force.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Not as extraordinary as I had hoped
I was looking forward to reading this because of the good reviews I had read about it, but frankly, I couldn't get past about page 50.I will perhaps try to get into it again, but the narrative did not hold my interest and was rather dry & academic in my opinion.

Just As Expected
I received the book within a few days of the order and it was in perfect condition.Excellent service!

A wonderful biography
What I love about Gillian Gill's biographies is the obvious extensive research of her subject. I had finished reading Gill's second biography on Mary Baker Eddy and was so impressed I knew in the Florence Nightingale biography I would find a well-researched and well-written history of a very complex woman. Gill's subjects are not always easy to understand, but through Gill's research you gain at least a clearer idea of the woman behind the "Lady with the Lamp". A wonderful biography worth reading. I especially enjoyed learning more about Nightingale's family and how important they were in creating Florence Nightingale.

I was disappointed
I found this read a bit on the dry side and at times almost pedantic.I am glad I read it, but it didn't really keep my attention as I had hoped.

Nightingales:The extraordinary Upbringing and Life of Miss F
Florence Nightingale's life holds a fascination for me. This isan extremely detailed read and Miss Gill's vocabulary is so extensive that one may desire a dictionary by one's side at times. The lifestyles of the families of privilege during the Victorian era painted a new portrait of a true hero, and opened windows to how those times still effect us today!The descriptions of hospital life during the Crimean War were eye-opening, as were the the illnesses in the Nightingale family were thought provoking from a medical and psycological standpoint. As a nurse myself, I am sorry I have not adequately appreciated "Flo"!Not easy reading, but worth the effort. ... Read more

Book Description
   The world knows Florence Nightingale as "the lady with the lamp"-the revered founder of nursing as a respectable profession for women. But few people are aware that Nightingale's career began only after years of struggle to free herself from her suffocating Victorian family. In this surprisingly passionate feminist essay (a "brilliant polemic," states Martha Vicinus), Nightingale denounces the lives of idleness she and other women of her class were forced to lead. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

What Nursing Is and Is Not
My daughter used this book to inspire her speech for her R.N. pinning ceremony.She and I found the book very interesting and inspiring.Everyone enjoyed her speech and found the information very interesting. ... Read more

Product Description
Known as "the lady with the lamp," she worked at nursing the wounded and comforting the ill. ... Read more

Product Description
a children's picture book on the life of Florence Nightingale ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
Introduce young readers to great historical figures! Learn about major life events, from childhood to adult years. A time line in each book captures important details, one event at a time, culminating in a complete summary on the final page. ... Read more

Book Description
Readers are informed and exhilarated by the story of Florence Nightingale, a brilliant pioneer who played a major role in making nursing the respected profession it is today. This sumptuously illustrated biography of nursing’s inspiring founder focuses on Nightingale’s mystic beliefs, her contributions to public health and infection control, and her trailblazing work in government and health care reform. Readers discover Nightingale’s life as a mystic and her many health care theories and practices that are still in use today. Brimming with more than 280 beautiful photographs and hundreds of little-known facts that shed light on the events that shaped Nightingale’s life and work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

I hope every nurse reads this
I was inspired to become a nurse by stories of the "lady with the lamp" but it took more than 30 years before I found this book and learned just why Florence Nightingale deserved to be my inspiration.The pictures alone are worth the price of this book, and the story too is well told.

Profound and inspiring
Dr. Barbara Dossey, founder of the American Holistic Nursing Association, has written an inspiring and insightful biography of Florence Nightingale that has much to teach us about being bold, tough minded, task oriented, creative, passionate andcompassionate.Nightingale conscientiously developed the strongly focused conceptual, organizational and networking skills that contributed to her formidable accomplishments in the fields of nursing, housing, sanitation and statistics and did it all despite chronic illness, criticism, sexism and other major life challenges.Most of all, we learn that Nightingale was a visionary and mystic, whose life story challenges all of us to know, accept and realize our God-given purpose in this world.

A Most Inspiring Book
I knew of Florence Nightingale's nursing activities before reading this book but had no idea of the extent of her self-discipline, dedication and accomplishments.She was a systems analyst, administrator, networker and mystic who devoted her life to doing God's work.She was also a prolific writer of books, lay reports, pamphlets and thousands of letters.The author provides a wealth of background material describing the historic times and placesassociated with Florence Nightingale. One of the things I appreciated about this book were the many maps and photographs appropriately placed near the text about the person or places.

outstanding biography
This is unquestionably the best biography of Nightingale ever written. The author reminds us that Nightingale was one of the first statisticians -- one of the first members of the statistical society in the U.K. and for many years the only woman member.Nightingale collected and published voluminous statistics about health care (she proved that the rate of childbirth fever was lower among women cared for by midwives vs those cared for by physicians and surmised correctly that the difference was that the midwives washed their hands and established hygiene in the birth chamber. The physicians came to the birth room covered with blood from dissections.) The germ theory of disease had not been developed -- but she was able to reduce the death rate in the hospitals in Crimea by ensuring cleanliness, safe water and good food for the patients.) She was also a suffragist and one of the first signers of a petition in support of suffrage put forward by her
friends, the philosopher John Stuart Mill and his wife Harriet Taylor, who were prominent proponents of women's suffrage. Mill asked Nightingale to dedicate herself to the cause of female suffrage and she replied that there were others as qualified as she; she was needed to reform the British military, hospital and medical systems. Nightingale shook up the British military, hospital and medical establishments.She had many enemies because of her work -- and they became even more virulent when she was proved right. Unfortunately their calumnies persist to this day.While doing the work which first brought her to public attention she contracted Crimean Fever -- a common complaint of those who served in the Crimea War.Dossey points out that recent research indicates that Crimean Fever was probably brucellosis which was and is epidemic and endemic in the Crimea. (It occurs now, too, in the U.S. among persons who work with infected cattle.) Nightingale was a very devout Christian.At 17 she sought a direction for her life. She came to feel that she was called to serve the sick and took a vow of chastity when she was 17.Barbara Dossey is an R.N. with a Master's degree in nursing. She has written texts on intensive care nursing and on wholistic health. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing -- which signfies the high respect of her research peers for her work.This is the finest contribution she has made and that says a lot.

Great Book on the History of Nursing
learn about the history of the nursing profession... very interesting... lots of beautiful pictures ... Read more

Book Description
Florence Nightingale was a healer, a comforter, and a nurturer. But like all of us, she had a dark side. Because of her mystique and her charisma she always got what she wanted. Seldom, did anyone really know her. They were drawn to her. They had to be with her. They admired her. At least one man literally worked himself to death for her. But they did not really know her. There is no doubt she was a force with which one had to attend. Denial of her passion and abilities generally led only to personal devastation! Now you can discover the darker side of Florence Nightingale. ... Read more

Book Description
First published in 1860, this short work was developed by nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale for use at her training school in England, but it is meant for anyone entrusted with the well-being of another and offers commonsense suggestions for all caregivers charged with looking after the sick and injured. While some of the information is dated, there remains a wealth of timeless advice, as well as an intimate peek into a moment in medical history. Topics covered include:. ventilation and warming . noise . bed and bedding . light . cleanliness . and the benefit of variety in a patient's surroundings British nurse and teacher FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE (1820-1910) established the Nightingale Training School in 1860 and transformed nursing from a profession for poor women into a noble occupation. She was awarded the Order of Merit by the Queen of England in 1907 for her contributions to medicine. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Perfect Sevice
I received the book within a few days of the order and it was in perferct condition.

Notes on Nursing
A book for true Nightingales!I enjoyed this book a great deal, some parts had me laughing out loud.It is an excellent gift book for nurses!

Makes a wonderful gift.
This makes a wonderful gift for a nursing student who is graduating, a nurse who is retiring or one who is being promoted.It is fascinating reading from a historical aspect will be relevant until the end of time.

Must-read for any nurse or aspiring nurse.
Nursing is a vocation; not "just a job."Miss Nightingale knew this, and this book reflects this philosophy.Nursing-schools, many years ago, designed the curriculum--and educated the aspiring nurses--with this in mind.Sadly, many present-day nurses (and nursing-schools) have lost this ideal...and the state of affairs in nursing bears this out.

If you're seriously considering nursing--or are a nurse who is "burned out," read this book.It will enlighten and edify you.

Basic, but useful.
I ordered this as a reference for my research work, so it was exactly what I was expecting.For more casual readers, the important excerpts or full-text can probably be more easily accessed online or through a library.If you need a convenient means of referencing this work though, then this edition is reasonably priced and compact. ... Read more

Book Description
She revolutionized the nursing profession. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Introductory Biography series
This book is perfect for K-3 students who just can't wade through those lenghty chapter books. It is abundantly illustrated with adorable pictures to keep little eyes busy while you are reading to them. Florence Nightingale was a young lady who graciously served as a nurse to woundedsoldiers and instituted many improvements in the field of nursing. Othertitles in the series include, Edison, Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington,Franklin, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very inspirational
I first read Florence Nightengale: War Nurse when I was a child.Eversince then it has been one of my favorite books and now I am an adult.Iwas very inspired by Florence.I am now enlisted as a nurse in the AirForce.I too would like to help all the wounded soulders.Once againthank you for all the inspiration. ... Read more

Book Description

This seventh volume in the Collected Works of Florence Nightingale consists of letters, observations, and notes from Florence Nightingale's many trips to Europe, beginning with a family journey when she was a teenager. It includes annotations she made on opera libretti from her “music mad” phase and her winter in Rome (1847-48) which were so important in shaping her liberal politics and support for independence movements. Her letters and notes from Greece and central Europe in 1850, and her Kaisers- werth stay in 1851, reveal her developing ideas on social reform, as well as her first professional training. Materials from 1853 provide information on her training in Paris hospitals. Volume 7 also contains letters and observations from her excursions to Scotland, Ireland, and all over England, from her childhood on.

Customer Reviews (3)

Volume 7 of "The Collected Works of Florence Nightingale"
Volume 7 of "The Collected Works of Florence Nightingale" series, Florence Nightingale's European Travels is a compilation of the famous nurse's correspondence and a few short published articles from the European travels of her youth. From visiting nations as a teenager with her family, to observing political changes in Italy and France, to her first nursing experience, her travels set the stage for her often brilliant letters that fully reveal her courage, faith, professionalism and ideals. Many of the writings in this outstanding series have never before been published; now, for the first time they are available to any and all interested in researching the perspective, experiences, and character of a legend. Highly recommended for libraries and reference or biography shelves.

A superb primary source of wisdom and insight
Florence Nightingale On Public Health Care is the sixth volume in the Wilfrid Laurier University Press "Collected Works Of Florence Nightingale" series, which gathers all available and surviving writing by Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), the famous heroine of the Crimean War and major founder of the nursing profession. Some of Nightingale's writings see print for the first time in these robust compendiums. Public Health Care includes Nightingale's "Notes on Nursing for the Labouring Classes"; papers on mortality in schools and hospitals; considerations on rural health; and Nightingale's experience bringing nursing into hellish workhouse infirmaries. A superb primary source of wisdom and insight that transcends centuries, very highly recommended for medical science history and reference shelves, and a seminal foundational study offering revelations of practical problems and ethical dilemmas that holds value for all students, scholars, scientists, and practitioners of modern medicine, Florence Nightingale On Public Health Care is an impressive addition to any academic or professional History of Medicine reference collection.

Good for Historians
This is a great historical study, with the majority of the text dedicated to reprinting mass amounts of letters between Florence and her family and friends. Most of the letters are written by her, but there are others from her family and friends to her or about her. A great resource for those who wish to get to know what Florence Nightingale was really like in her daily life. This is also a great resource in that the editor outlines a basic biography of Florence's life, and offers footnotes throughout the book to inform the reader of who the people that Florence writes about were and their significance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Florence Nightingale and the nursing legacy
This book is specifically about the Nightingale Fund and how it was used to start and maintain nursing schools.The book is not organized chronologically, but by subject.This makes the chapters somewhat confusing because the time-frame is always changing.This book contains alot of detail about the schools and students benefiting from the Fund. Conflicts with teachers, students, doctors and Florence Nightingale arealso mentioned.Sections of the book were very interesting, but otherparts were boring.Anyone interested in the history of nursing schools inthe middle to late 1800s or Nightingale nurses should read this book. ... Read more