All This Hell

All This Hell chronicles the experiences of U.S. Army and Navy nurses who served in the Philippines during World War II. The book follows their journey from peacetime nursing duties through capture by Japanese forces and eventual liberation. The authors draw from interviews, diaries, letters and military records to document the nurses' daily realities in battlefield hospitals and prison camps. Their account includes details of medical work under extreme conditions, survival strategies, and the bonds formed between the women. Through personal narratives and historical context, the book reveals an overlooked chapter of women's military service during WWII. The nurses' story demonstrates resilience and dedication to caring for patients even in the most challenging circumstances, while highlighting the broader impact of war on medical personnel caught in conflict zones.

Readers emphasize the book's focus on Army and Navy nurses' experiences during WWII in the Pacific theater, with particular attention to those who became POWs. Many note the book fills a gap in WWII literature by documenting these nurses' contributions and hardships. Liked: - Personal accounts and first-hand testimonies - Details about medical conditions and procedures - Documentation of nurses' resilience under extreme circumstances - Inclusion of photographs and primary sources Disliked: - Writing style can be dry and academic - Some sections feel repetitive - Limited coverage of certain geographic areas - Jumps between different narratives Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (356 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (89 ratings) Multiple reviewers commented that the book helped them understand relatives who served as nurses during WWII. One reader noted: "These women's stories needed to be told before they were lost to history." Some readers mentioned difficulty keeping track of the numerous individuals profiled throughout the book.

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🏥 The authors conducted over 100 interviews with Army and Navy nurses who were POWs during WWII, preserving firsthand accounts that might have otherwise been lost to history. ⚔️ Some of the nurses featured in the book survived the Bataan Death March alongside soldiers, though their experiences were largely overlooked in historical accounts of the event. 🏆 Evelyn Monahan served as a captain in the Women's Army Corps and later became an intelligence analyst, bringing unique military insight to her research and writing. 🌏 The book reveals that many nurses continued caring for patients even after becoming prisoners, creating medical supplies from whatever materials they could find in the POW camps. 📚 The title "All This Hell" comes from a quote by Army nurse Juanita Redmond, who said, "We're going to remember all this hell, and someday we'll write about it."