The Anzac Girls: The extraordinary story of our World War I nurses

I think people expecting this book to be like the TV series will have been disappointed as it isn't a 'story', but a series of diary entries, newspaper reports and other reports written at the time. The author has done well to string them skillfully together into a readable book that vividly depicts the horror and destruction, particularly of France, during the first world war. Many of the Australian and New Zealand nurses (the ANZAC nurses) were awarded the military medal -the highest honor for bravery for non military personnel, which shows how much these girls did for the wounded and dying soldiers of all nationalities . disregarding their own safety completely. Many of them were mentally and emotionally damaged (one committed suicide after the war ended) and this book conveys vividly the horrors they experienced and the dfficult to impossible circumstances under which they worked. One 2 star reviewer complained that there wasn't enough description of wounds and their treatment, but this wasn't that kind of book.It vividly pictured the suffering and filth and cold and fear ever present and how the girls coped. I've only taken off a star because I found all of the reference numbers a bit disconcerting as it was impossible to refer to them because they were at the end of the book. A list of sources at the end would have been sufficient, as most people weren't reading it as a reference book, I suspect. I liked that it gave a list at the end, of the nurses who died and how they met their end. Many were drowned when a troop ship was torpedoed and others died from 'Spanish' flu, rife at that time. It also told of what happened to those who lived, as far as it was possible. I can't say I 'enjoyed' the book but I was totally absorbed and felt enormously for the girls brave enough to follow 'their boys' to the battle field and then do what they could to comfort and nurse them, even writing to their next of kin when they died. As someone who was a nurse (and trained in Australia) and who grew up in Australia I really appreciated this book but it shouldn't be read by those expecting the 'romance' of the TV series.

This is a brilliant book and a must to read by anyone who is interested in World War 1 ,the treatment of these brave ladies is deplorable and shame on those who treated them so badly ,very well constructed and gives the best insight to the contribution and sacrifice non military people made in the quest to give the world freedom from evil and how women were miss treated even by their own country. highly recommended.

I saw the mini series and wanted to know how much it deviated from the source material. In all the ways that mattered, not much. Like the men who fought, the women who helped pick up the pieces played hard and worked harder in incredibly difficult circumstances. Their mettle and determination was inspiring. Well worth a read.

This is a story of courage and determination. These women have to fight sexism to take their place in the medical profession. They battled to save they lives and spirits of their fellow countrymen. All while losing loved ones in the slaughter of Gallipoli and the trenches of the Western Front. Where they downhearted? Read and find out for yourself.

A very illuminating account of the experiences of Anzac nurses in WW1 when they began in Gallipoli and then were sent to the Western Front. This book is more analytical than individual diaries or letters home could be. Likewise the horror story of nursing the wounded is more graphically told than a nurse would feel able to tell her family. Coming from outside Europe enables the nurses and others to see what happened from a different angle.

I love this book just started to read it and I love the dvd about is very good too . The brave nurses . I cared for men and women of the first world war . My nan was a nurse in the second world war x we owe the men and women alot xxx

Exceptionally good book but having watched the TV programme 'Anzac Girls' it was difficult not to draw comparisons. However the book is still highly recommended.

Great eye opener to WW1 and nurses and soldiers went through.Also the discrimination that was about during them times towards women