Description

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Since the discovery and widespread use of penicillin in the Second World War, which was a major turning point in 20th century combat medicine, there have been enormous changes in surgical and nursing techniques enabling frontline medical teams to save soldiers’ lives and alleviate suffering on the battlefield. The Korean War saw the first use of helicopters to airlift wounded troops to medical facilities away from the front line, while the Falklands War, both Gulf Wars and the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan have been characterised by the introduction of new surgical procedures using image intensifiers and a trend towards laser treatments. Dr Penny Starns gives a detailed and insightful account of battlefield medicine from Korea to Afghanistan.

About the Author

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Dr Penny Starns and is an established historian and writer. She has a PhD in the history of medicine from the University of Bristol and has worked as a historical researcher for BBC Radio 4 and as a Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, University of London and University of Bristol. Penny is author of Sisters of the Somme, Odette: World War Two’s Darling Spy,Surviving Tenko: The True Story of Margot Turner, and Blitz Families: The Children who Stayed Behind. She lives in Bristol