Blood and Germs: The Civil War Battle Against Wounds and Disease by Gail Jarrow.

Yesterday, I finished reading Blood and Germs: The Civil War Battle Against Wounds and Disease by Gail Jarrow. This nonfiction book is about medicine and medical care during the Civil War. Over the course of the war, many were killed not just by injuries during battle but also by disease that ravaged through military camps from viruses and bacteria due to poor sanitation. Some of those who survived never fully recovered and were left with chronic illness or devastating injuries. Despite the challenges, though, doctors, nurses, and volunteers in both the North and the South worked to improve the conditions of hospitals and enhance medical care through innovations in surgical techniques, medicine, and battlefield rescues.

Lately, I've been interested in learning more about the Civil War, and I started reading Blood and Germs while reading a book about women spies during the Civil War for adult readers (Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott). What I found most interesting while reading is how more people actually died from disease than wounds suffered during battle, but I also enjoyed the features on doctors, nurses, volunteers, survivors, and victims. I especially appreciated learning more about the women and Black people who helped during the Civil War. While I thought some of injuries were gruesome, I was more concerned if anything could have be done to save a person back then. In some cases, the answer was "yes"; in other cases, the person would continue to suffer and death didn't always come quickly. The back matter of the book includes a timeline, a glossary, online resources, an author's notes, source notes, a general bibliography, a bibliography of personal accounts, and an index. Anyone with an interest in the Civil War, war history in general, or the history of medicine should read this book.