By BELINDA HARRISON, EDGARS BOOKS & NEWS

Edgars Books & News, in conjunction with the Benalla and Wangaratta Libraries, will be welcoming author Kirsty Harris on Thursday, 11 September to discuss her book 'More Than Bombs and Bandages' with myself at these free events.

The story of Australian Army nurses in World War I is often told in simple terms: devoted women at the bedsides of wounded soldiers.

But as Kirsty Harris makes clear in this book, that picture is only half the truth.

The contributions these women have made has too often been overlooked.

Drawing on her CEW Bean Prize-winning PhD thesis, Kirsty delivers an eye-opening account of the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS).

Far from being confined to ‘bandages and devotion,’ the nurses were skilled professionals who worked in roles that blurred the line between nursing and medicine.

Managing wards, organising supplies, administering treatments; their work was physically demanding, emotionally taxing, and vital to the survival of thousands of soldiers.

Diaries, letters, and official records paint scenes that are both vivid and confronting.

Many worked in conditions that today would seem unbearable - makeshift hospitals, limited supplies, and the ever-present risk of danger.

Yet what comes through strongly is their resilience and ingenuity.

The nurses she writes about are not saintly figures but highly trained, capable professionals who held the military medical system together.

Importantly, the book doesn’t stop at the war years.

Harris highlights how the skills and authority nurses developed carried forward, shaping nursing in Australia long after the armistice.

For readers interested in military history, nursing, or the social history of World War I, this book is essential.

It offers fresh detail, new perspectives, and a narrative that is as engaging as it is informative.

Harris writes with clarity and respect, ensuring the nurses’ voices are heard across the century that separates us from their service.

More Than Bombs and Bandages is a valuable reminder that history is rarely as simple as the stereotypes suggest.

These nurses were more than carers – they were leaders, innovators, and survivors.

More Than Bombs and Bandages is available now at Edgars Books & News and will be available at both events where Kirsty will be happy to sign them for readers.

Bookings are requested to assist with venue set up and can be made through the libraries, Edgars Books & News or online: https://edgarsbooksandnews.com.au/events/.