"Immaculately researched, this is an authoritative and objective history of nurses both professional and voluntary in the First World War."—Shirley Williams, Kennedy School of Government at Harvard

"Christine Hallett's book is a powerful and compelling account of professional nursing during the First World War. Immensely readable, Veiled Warriors presents an eloquent appraisal of nursing's vital contribution to the care of wounded service personnel and its role in wider medical efforts. Christine Hallett has used some incredibly strong individual stories to illustrate her case and poses a masterful challenge to many of the myths that exist about nursing during the conflict. This was a truly significant period in the development of nursing and Veiled Warriors is set to be essential reading for those of us interested in this fascinating time for the profession."—Dr. Peter Carter OBE, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing

"Hallett's narrative gives a voice to nurses who often put their lives on the line during World War I."—Library Journal

10/01/2014
Prior to World War I, the professional status of nurses was in flux during wartime, as they were often perceived as self-sacrificing heroines or romantic foils to brave doctors. Other times, they were even viewed as doctors' handmaidens. This mythology crippled their ability to become full partners in the care of battlefield wounded. Hallett (nursing, Univ. of Manchester; Containing Trauma) challenges these biases and traces the role of nurses through World War I and the conflict's many campaigns on the eastern and western fronts. By drawing on personal memoirs of the era, the author provides firsthand accounts of patient care during the war. Yet sometimes her narrative fails to flesh out fully the emotional voices of these women and often reinforces the very stereotypes she seeks to dismiss. One example is Kate Luard, a casualty clearing station nurse who writes in a letter home, "I look upon it as a great privilege to be a mother to these young heroes." VERDICT Hallett's narrative gives a voice to nurses who often put their lives on the line during World War I. While the author doesn't always succeed in extinguishing nursing stereotypes, she does provide a readable, realistic account for those interested in medical and wartime history.—Rebecca Hill, Zionsville, IN