Gordon E. Dammann

My great great grandfather served in the Massachusetts 32nd Infantry and died in a Union field hospital in Alexandria, Virginia. Like most Civil War casualties, he died of disease, not of gunshot. So it was with great interest that I read Dammann's photographic history of Civil War medicine. Although I did not find a photograph of the specific hospital or attending surgeon that worked on my ancestor -- a long shot hope I had entertained -- I did find much here that brought to light this aspect of the Civil War and gave me a better appreciation for life and death in the field hospitals.

"Images of Civil War Medicine" is an important reference for family historians with ancestors killed or injured in the Civil War.… (altro)

The book was well -written and informative. While it did not bring to light much that is new to the discourse regarding Civil War medicine, it was well-researched and engaging. My biggest problem with the book is the reproduction of the photographic images. It is ironic that the book focuses on Civil War medical imagery and then the publishers choose the cheapest, least adaptive paper for the reproduction of drawings and photographs. Mr. Dammann was done a disservice. The pictures were so mottled and blurred because of the paper stock chosen for the book, that they were useless as companion pieces to the narrative.… (altro)

This thin volume (191 pages) is a testament to mediocrity. And given the title, Images of Civil War Medicine, I will admit that a ghoulish interest in seeing photos of horrible Civil War wounds led me to request this book from the Early Readers freebies. Perhaps then it served me right that the book only contains a handful of such photos.

Instead the book mainly consists of photos of Civil War hospitals, surgeons, educators, and nurses. The text provides straightforward (not to say turgid) descriptions of each category. That the book steadfastly avoids flights of flowery rhetoric is best evidenced by the title of chapter 4 "A Variety of Topics".

The book does provide some interesting information, for example about the ambulance system that was developed only after two years of brutal warfare demonstrated the absolute necessity for such conveyances. Devoted Civil War buffs (and I don't like that term much, but it's better than fanatics) may find the book of some interest. Likewise close students of medical history. Everyone else will meet their needs by a quick browse.… (altro)