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And If I Perish  By  cover art

And If I Perish

By: Evelyn M. Monahan, Rosemary Neidel-Greenlee
Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
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Publisher's summary

In World War II, 59,000 women voluntarily risked their lives for their country as US Army nurses. When the war began, some of them had so little idea of what to expect that they packed party dresses; but the reality of service quickly caught up with them, whether they waded through the water in the historic landings on North African and Normandy beaches, or worked around the clock in hospital tents on the Italian front as bombs fell all around them.

For more than half a century these women's experiences remained untold, almost without reference in books, historical societies, or military archives. After years of research and hundreds of hours of interviews, Evelyn M. Monahan and Rosemary Neidel-Greenlee have created a dramatic narrative that at last brings to light the critical role that women played throughout the war.

From the North African and Italian campaigns to the liberation of France and the conquest of Germany, US Army nurses rose to the demands of war on the front lines with grit, humor, and great heroism. A long overdue work of history, And If I Perish is also a powerful tribute to these women and their inspiring legacy.

©2003 Evelyn M. Monahan and Rosemary Neidel-Greenlee (P)2020 Tantor

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Eye Opening

I learned so many interesting things from this book, some incredible and some tragic. I’ve read many books about WWII, but this brought a different perspective and information than I’ve gotten before. It is long and has a lot of data included at times, but well written and worth the listen!

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Truly Inspirational

I have read a number of books on WWII history and had no idea how many nurses served on the front lines. The sacrifices those ladies made are truly inspirational! I am so thankful for their service and for the authors who shared their stories!

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Story needed to be told but too much extraneous detail

I don’t usually listen to books that are 20 hours long but I figured- hey why not?! After I got halfway through I was hooked but wished it was over and wasn’t going to waste a credit by not finishing it. And besides I had the time with multiple long drives. So I persevered to the end.

The stories of the nurses and their medical colleagues are great, and the authors must have thought all the history surrounding them important. However, I would have left that part out. If you are a major history buff, this is for you as you get a lot of WWII history with this book. That portion woven in probably added 2-4 extra listening hours - and that was at 1.5 speed! At that speed the narrator voice was completely understandable so perhaps others would find it boring at 100%.

I happened to be listening throughout Memorial Day weekend and the reality of the sacrifices of war really struck a new nerve. The stories are raw and gruesome - so this is not for the faint of heart.

Thank you to the women who forged the trail and sacrificed their lives for us in the 1940s!

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Important history

The account of nurses in WWII is an important previously untold story. These brave women worked tirelessly and bravely for half of men’s pay and a lack of recognition by Americans and veterans organizations back home. I learned a lot about the war and the role these nurses in it I loved the book and honor these women’s service and sacrifice given lovingly and generously

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Great information

To this day I am surprised and shocked by how many people try to minimize women’s roles in history or the present. If I as a male had acted or said some of the misogynistic things these women had to put up with I would have been put in my place by my aunt who was a doctor or my mother who’s father abandoned the family during the depression. I hope military women are better treated better but I wonder.

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Mind blown! I learned so much!

I cannot say enough about the necessity and magnificence of this book! It is shameful that we know or have heard so little of the sacrifices of these amazing women!! Please listen to it; you won’t regret it! Thank you to the researchers/ authors who made this possible!

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And If I Perish

I want to thank you for a very informative book, I was unaware of a lot of the information you covered. I have told a number of family and friend about the book and recommended that they read it.

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chills!

this book is so amazing and inspiring. It is a true testimony to giving overdue recognition to our women veterans.

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Review by an old and proud nurse

As an RN and daughter wife and mother of a soldier I really enjoyed this story of courage competence and compassion that is at the core of my profession and the proud history I have inherited. I wish it was read by a better narrator. I kept waiting for her to clear her throat.

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Amazing women that deserve to be remembered!

I found this book to be so fascinating. I had no idea that nurses experienced so many hardships. They are all heroes!

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2 people found this helpful