Readers are informed and exhilarated by the story of Florence Nightingale, a brilliant pioneer who played a major role in making nursing the respected profession it is today. This sumptuously illustrated biography of nursing’s inspiring founder focuses on Nightingale’s mystic beliefs, her contributions to public health and infection control, and her trailblazing work in government and health care reform. Readers discover Nightingale’s life as a mystic and her many health care theories and practices that are still in use today. Brimming with more than 280 beautiful photographs and hundreds of little-known facts that shed light on the events that shaped Nightingale’s life and work.