It is difficult to separate Florence Nightingale from the legend that has grown around her life and work, as depicted in Longfellow’s poem of 1857:
A Lady with a lamp shall stand
In the great history of the land,
A noble type of good,
Heroic womanhood
If you are looking for something to read, there are publications by both fans and critics, stretching back for more than a century. The RCN library catalogue lists more than 11,000 books, articles etc. under the subject of her name. Some of the published work are clearly uncritical accounts that have perpetuated the myths surrounding Nightingale and were often given as school or Sunday school prizes. Many early nursing textbooks and histories of nursing fall into this category. This tradition has persisted to the present day but has been accompanied by a number of books questioning or criticising her work, motives and achievements. These began with Lytton Strachey as early as 1918 in Eminent Victorians. However, F. B. Smith’s hostile account of 1982 (Florence Nightingale: Reputation and Power) took criticism to another level and was probably an act of deliberate character assassination. This is said to have adversely influenced the views of many historians of nursing into the present century.
So what would I recommend you to read in order to get a balanced understanding of her life and work? Perhaps, the most authoritative account of her life was written by Sir Edward Cook in 1913. This is the official biography approved by the family and is still worth a read, although I have used it mainly for reference. A more modern take on Nightingale’s life is that by Mark Bostridge, published for the centenary of her death and incorporating up to date scholarship as well as detailed examination of the archives. If you are more interested in Nightingale’s work then three texts give a clear and concise account of her influence in the areas of nursing, midwifery, hospital design, the army, statistics, India and so on. The first by Monica Baly concentrates on nursing, whilst Lynn McDonald gives a broad outline of Nightingale’s achievements and finally Anne Marie Rafferty and Siobhan Nelson have edited a book which gives a global analysis of the impact and legacy of this incredibly talented and hardworking individual. If you don’t have access to these texts then Lynn McDonald’s Florence Nightingale: A very brief history (2017), is available as an ebook from the RCN library catalogue. As the title states it is short and offers a wide ranging summary, albeit uncritical, of Nightingale’s work.
These are my choices of books, no doubt others would add or subtract from the list, but I am certain they will give insight into one of the most interesting and influential women of all time.
A Lady with a lamp shall stand
In the great history of the land,
A noble type of good,
Heroic womanhood
If you are looking for something to read, there are publications by both fans and critics, stretching back for more than a century. The RCN library catalogue lists more than 11,000 books, articles etc. under the subject of her name. Some of the published work are clearly uncritical accounts that have perpetuated the myths surrounding Nightingale and were often given as school or Sunday school prizes. Many early nursing textbooks and histories of nursing fall into this category. This tradition has persisted to the present day but has been accompanied by a number of books questioning or criticising her work, motives and achievements. These began with Lytton Strachey as early as 1918 in Eminent Victorians. However, F. B. Smith’s hostile account of 1982 (Florence Nightingale: Reputation and Power) took criticism to another level and was probably an act of deliberate character assassination. This is said to have adversely influenced the views of many historians of nursing into the present century.
So what would I recommend you to read in order to get a balanced understanding of her life and work? Perhaps, the most authoritative account of her life was written by Sir Edward Cook in 1913. This is the official biography approved by the family and is still worth a read, although I have used it mainly for reference. A more modern take on Nightingale’s life is that by Mark Bostridge, published for the centenary of her death and incorporating up to date scholarship as well as detailed examination of the archives. If you are more interested in Nightingale’s work then three texts give a clear and concise account of her influence in the areas of nursing, midwifery, hospital design, the army, statistics, India and so on. The first by Monica Baly concentrates on nursing, whilst Lynn McDonald gives a broad outline of Nightingale’s achievements and finally Anne Marie Rafferty and Siobhan Nelson have edited a book which gives a global analysis of the impact and legacy of this incredibly talented and hardworking individual. If you don’t have access to these texts then Lynn McDonald’s Florence Nightingale: A very brief history (2017), is available as an ebook from the RCN library catalogue. As the title states it is short and offers a wide ranging summary, albeit uncritical, of Nightingale’s work.
These are my choices of books, no doubt others would add or subtract from the list, but I am certain they will give insight into one of the most interesting and influential women of all time.
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