Perhaps this started it all . . .

This little Landmark history probably started it all. I checked it out over and over again from our public library. First person accounts made these stories come alive. Interestingly enough, I became fascinated in history rather than the nursing. To my delight, my husband found a nice copy for me in a used book store.

Stephen Ambrose, in his later works on World War II, used the first-person narratives so very effectively. He interviewed countless D-Day veterans to give us a realistic glimpse into the experiences of the participants of Operation Overlord. I learned more from Ambrose's collections of memories than from any textbook about the era.