War Wounds

The history of warfare and the history of medicine are closely intertwined. The major wars of the last hundred years - from the First World War to more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan - have driven advances in treatments for wounds and pain management, the use of antibacterial agents and more effective prevention and control of disease and infection, as well as the development of radical new approaches to evacuating, treating and healing the injured.


In this riveting book, for the first time, historians, medical practitioners and researchers, military medical officers, surgeons, nurses and veterans explore the impact of war, wounds and trauma through the historical record, reported narratives and personal experiences.


WAR WOUNDS includes chapters on shell shock, self-inflicted wounds and reconstructive surgery in the First World War, medical experiments and disease in the Nazi death camps of the Second World War, and the effects of Agent Orange, antipersonnel mines and sexually transmitted diseases in the Vietnam War. The book also includes the first-hand experiences of medical professionals in the Korean War, Vietnam and the current conflict in Afghanistan, as well as several moving personal stories recounting veterans’ experiences of injury, treatment on the battlefield and eventual recovery.


WAR WOUNDS is a unique book, offering considerable insights into an aspect of war that is often mentioned but seldom examined as it is here. It will appeal to anyone with an interest in warfare or medicine, whether casual or professional.


Ashley Ekins is Head of the Military History Section at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Elizabeth Stewart is a historian in the Military History Section at the Australian War Memorial.