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Published by Stackpole Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
In the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, a thousand surgeons faced an unprecedented medical catastrophe: 25,000 wounded soldiers needing immediate care with only primitive tools and their own determination to save lives.
At Gettysburg's makeshift hospitals—set up in barns, churches, and blood-soaked fields—military and civilian surgeons from both North and South worked around the clock performing life-saving operations under fire. Drawing from a decade of meticulous research, historian Barbara Franco reveals how these courageous medical professionals revolutionized battlefield medicine and established principles still saving lives today.
Through vivid accounts and previously untold stories, readers will discover:
From the founding director of the Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum comes an unforgettable narrative of medicine, courage, and innovation that speaks to both history enthusiasts and medical professionals. This definitive account shows how the medical crisis at Gettysburg continues to influence how we treat mass casualties and train combat medics today.
At Gettysburg's makeshift hospitals—set up in barns, churches, and blood-soaked fields—military and civilian surgeons from both North and South worked around the clock performing life-saving operations under fire. Drawing from a decade of meticulous research, historian Barbara Franco reveals how these courageous medical professionals revolutionized battlefield medicine and established principles still saving lives today.
Through vivid accounts and previously untold stories, readers will discover:
- How surgeons improvised new techniques that became standard trauma procedures
- The harrowing reality of Civil War field hospitals during the three days of battle
- How lessons learned at Gettysburg transformed American military medicine
- The lasting impact on modern emergency and disaster response
From the founding director of the Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum comes an unforgettable narrative of medicine, courage, and innovation that speaks to both history enthusiasts and medical professionals. This definitive account shows how the medical crisis at Gettysburg continues to influence how we treat mass casualties and train combat medics today.
Product Details
- Publisher: Stackpole Books (July 1, 2025)
- Length: 352 pages
- ISBN13: 9780811776493
Raves and Reviews
“[Gettysburg Surgeons] is highly readable and approachable, attempting to show the personalities of the medics and the reality of their situations. A fascinating and intriguing read that’s a great niche history for Civil War buffs and a fine addition to Civil War collections.”
– Library Journal
"…deserves a spot on any shelf dedicated to America’s most dissected war. Franco does more than raise up the narrative of the beleaguered surgeons and assistant surgeons who probed and sawed their way through the conflict, she opens a perspective rarely seen in histories of the period."
– Stars and Stripes
"Gettysburg Surgeons is a deeply researched and powerful tribute to the medical officers who served at Gettysburg. It will stand alongside Gregory Coco’s A Vast Sea of Misery (1996) in helping readers understand the medical response to the human tragedy at Gettysburg. In shining a light on the humanity and professionalism of Civil War surgeons, Barbara Franco adds a vital chapter to the story of Gettysburg.”
– Emerging Civil War
"Using primary material from medical records, diaries, letters, army reports, and the like, Barbara Franco expertly tells the story of the challenges the surgeons faced in treating tens of thousands of casualties in a town with limited medical facilities… well-written and useful new addition to the burgeoning Gettysburg historiography”
– Cannonball, York Daily Record
“…an interesting perspective on the role of doctors in the Confederate and Union Armies in general, and the Battle of Gettysburg specifically… Franco skillfully uses a combination of diaries, letters, and written reports to analyze an important moment in American history, with a compelling story.”
– Books for CONGRESS®
"Special, unique, meticulously researched, substantively informative, exceptionally well written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, Gettysburg Surgeons: Facing a Common Enemy in the Civil War's Deadliest Battle is an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Civil War History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists."
– Midwest Book Review
“For a [military] campaign game, medical treatment deserves some attention. Here’s a book that helps you do so.”
– Russ Lockwood, Historical Miniatures Gaming Society (HMGS)
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Book Cover Image (jpg): Gettysburg Surgeons
eBook 9780811776493
