This was an interesting historical book with lots of details, dates and information about the surgeons of Gettysburg. Viewing the battle of Gettysburg through the viewpoint of the surgeons was exactly as I hoped it would be. Informative experience through the surgeons lens. I did find it hard to follow at times. I am very happy to have this advance copy opportunity from Net Galley.

This book on the surgeons who worked at Gettysburg is a detailed and meticulously researched account of a lesser-known aspect of the battle. The sheer number of surgeons working gives a remarkable insight into the battle itself - 1000 for 25000 injured people. It was also intriguing to read that surgeons were taken prisoner, too. Finally, I really enjoyed the biographies of the Gettysburg surgeons at the end of the book.

Gettysburg Surgeons: Facing a Common Enemy in the Civil War's Deadliest Battle is based upon a ten year research study (prosopography) performed by the author, Barbara Franco, about the Surgeons of Gettysburg during the civil war including such information as where these surgeons came from, what challenges they faced, and what happened to them during and after the war.

Some of the things this extensive non-fiction work examines:

- The ages and qualifications of the surgeons such as what routes of study they had taken and where they studied.
- The medical treatments of the time.
- The prevailing approaches to medicine.
- The lacking resources available.

The types of issues dealt with such as:

- Health and disease: Chronic diarrhea, dysentery, scurvy, scabies, tetanus
- Gunshot wounds, secondary hemorrhage
- Alcohol and drug abuse
- Sickness from foods or lack of specific foods.
- The importance of clean water.
- Death.

It also includes excerpts from letters and diaries and examines their lives after the war.

As someone with a background in healthcare, and as someone who has visited Gettysburg Battlefield, I found it very interesting to read. The accompanying pictures also provided a wealth of information.

About the Author:
Barbara Franco, a nationally recognized leader in the museum field, has served as executive director of the Historical Society of Washington, DC, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, and the Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum.

Globe Pequot Publishing Group, Inc.
July 1, 2025

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