I was very impressed with this book. You would expect a book like this to be written by someone totally knowledgeable in medicine, but not so well read in current WW II military operational history. This author is well read in both. Not only does he present the difficulties, discoveries and advances in military medicine that were learned and became part of the operational side, or were learned and ignored; but he is up on much of the revisionist history of WW II in that he understands what really happened and not the myths perpetuated by some previous historians (or the U.S. government).
Best of all, he helps you understand why military operations failed or succeeded due to the use or non-use of needed medical personnel or equipment. He also compares the British and American medical systems and how sometimes we borrowed from the other fellow or didn't (and often suffered because of it).
For instance, in the New Guinea campaign, the Americans and Australians suffered 6,600 annual malarial cases PER EVERY 1,000 men. This means a soldier was in the hospital with malaria over six times a year. Imagine how that delayed our advance in the southwestern Pacific.
The author discusses the politics of medicine between and within the individual services, as well as the political problems between the high command concerned with the war and the medical high command concerned with saving lives and returning troops to the front lines. He covers both the Pacific and European theaters of war in detail.
If you are into WW II military history, you won't be sorry you read this book.
Best of all, he helps you understand why military operations failed or succeeded due to the use or non-use of needed medical personnel or equipment. He also compares the British and American medical systems and how sometimes we borrowed from the other fellow or didn't (and often suffered because of it).
For instance, in the New Guinea campaign, the Americans and Australians suffered 6,600 annual malarial cases PER EVERY 1,000 men. This means a soldier was in the hospital with malaria over six times a year. Imagine how that delayed our advance in the southwestern Pacific.
The author discusses the politics of medicine between and within the individual services, as well as the political problems between the high command concerned with the war and the medical high command concerned with saving lives and returning troops to the front lines. He covers both the Pacific and European theaters of war in detail.
If you are into WW II military history, you won't be sorry you read this book.
