FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE: THE WOMAN AND HER LEGEND

As the Lady with the Lamp, ministering to the wounded and dying of the Crimean War, Nightingale offers an enduring image of sentimental appeal and one that is permanently lodged in our national consciousness. But the awesome scale of her achievements over the course of her 90 years is infinitely more troubling - and inspiring - than this mythical simplification. This biography draws on a wealth of unpublished material and previously unseen family papers, disentangling the myth from the reality.