Winner of the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography, Mark Bostridge’s Florence Nightingale is a masterful and enjoyable biography of one of Britain’s most iconic heroines.
Whether honoured and admired or criticized and ridiculed, Florence Nightingale has invariably been misrepresented and misunderstood. As the Lady with the Lamp, ministering to the wounded and dying of the Crimean War, she offers an enduring image of sentimental appeal and one that is permanently lodged in our national consciousness. But the awesome scale of her achievements over the course of her 90 years is infinitely more troubling – and inspiring – than this mythical simplification.
Concise historical introduction to Florence Nightingale and her continuing influence on the world. Florence Nightingale is widely known as the founder of modern nursing. She is also a brilliant and highly influential social reformer. Written by a world authority, this brief history explores Nightingale’s background and motivations. It also offers an informed assessment of the scale and significance of her legacy. It has been called timely and important by Alasdair Redfern, Bishop of Derby 2005-2018.
Winner of the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography, Mark Bostridge’s Florence Nightingale is a masterful and enjoyable biography of one of Britain’s most iconic heroines. Whether honoured and admired or criticized and ridiculed, Florence Nightingale has invariably been misrepresented and misunderstood. As the Lady with the Lamp, ministering to the wounded and dying of the Crimean War, she offers an enduring image of sentimental appeal and one that is permanently lodged in our national consciousness. But the awesome scale of her achievements over the course of her 90 years is infinitely more troubling – and inspiring – than this mythical simplification.