A New York Times Best Seller!
When Jonathan Letterman was appointed the chief medical officer of the Army of the Potomac, he revolutionized combat medicine over the course of four major battles—Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. He made battlefield survival possible by creating the first organized ambulance corps and a more effective field hospital system. Confronting conditions of squalor, poor nutrition, and rampant disease that left 20 percent of the men unfit to fight, Letterman improved health and combat readiness by pioneering hygiene and diet standards.
With stirring accounts of battles and the struggle to invent and supply adequate care during impossible conditions, Surgeon in Blue recounts Letterman’s life from his small-town Pennsylvania beginnings to his trailblazing wartime years and his subsequent career as a wildcatter and the medical examiner of San Francisco. At last, here is the missing portrait of a key figure of Civil War history and military medicine. His principles of battlefield care are still implemented on today’s battlefields and by first responders.
Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Arcade, Good Books, Sports Publishing, and Yucca imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. Our list includes biographies on well-known historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, Nelson Mandela, and Alexander Graham Bell, as well as villains from history, such as Heinrich Himmler, John Wayne Gacy, and O. J. Simpson. We have also published survivor stories of World War II, memoirs about overcoming adversity, first-hand tales of adventure, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
“With sensitivity and insight, Scott McGaugh presents the story of this fascinating figure and his legacy, which has saved uncounted thousands of lives of soldiers wounded in many wars.”
—James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom
“Jonathan Letterman’s revolutionary medical innovations touch lives every time 911 is called for a trauma incident, a patient arrives at an emergency room, a medic treats a wounded warrior, or medical supplies are delivered to a disaster zone. Thanks to Scott McGaugh, Letterman can be introduced to a world that already benefits from his legacy.”
—George Wunderlich, executive director, National Museum of Civil War Medicine
“This is an important book, whose author has thoroughly and ably researched the underside of warfare: namely, the travails of the wounded soldier from being abandoned on the battlefield to becoming the object of compassionate care.”
—John S. Haller Jr., emeritus professor of history and medical humanities, Southern Illinois University
“In this eloquent and engaging portrait of the legendary medical strategist, Scott McGaugh reminds us that Jonathan Letterman’s spirit lives on today in every corpsman and medic, at every forward medical facility, and at every hospital in theater.”
—André B. Sobocinski, historian, Office of Medical History, Bureau of Medicine & Surgery, United States Navy
“Stirring . . . In addition to being an incisive portrait of the great doctor and leader, McGaugh’s history is a testament to the brave men to whom Letterman dedicated his life.”—Publishers Weekly
“Solid, well-researched . . . A nicely crafted biography that also offers Civil War buffs an unusual ambulance-wagon view of the great conflict."—Kirkus Reviews
“Verdict McGaugh provides military history buffs, particularly those interested in military medicine, with a well-rounded picture of a man who greatly influenced our delivery of medical care for wounded warriors.”—Library Journal
“Adds a sobering tone to the 150th anniversary of a conflict that advanced medical care at a terrible cost. . . . McGaugh provides telling details within a concise narrative to give Letterman's personal story the context necessary for appreciating his influence.”—Associated Press
