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Secondary sourceBook1904

The Life of Florence Nightingale

Sarah Tooley · 1904

A popular 1904 biography of Nightingale by journalist Sarah Tooley, written while Nightingale was still alive. This LibriVox recording is a volunteer reading of the book.

A contemporary biography that shows how Edwardian readers viewed Nightingale's reputation and achievements.

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Sarah Tooley, The Life of Florence Nightingale, 1904. LibriVox audio recording read in English by Ciufi Galeazzi.

About this source

What it is

This is a LibriVox audio recording, a volunteer reading of The Life of Florence Nightingale by journalist Sarah Tooley. The recording is not Nightingale's own voice. The book was written while Nightingale was still living, and its original publication date appears to be 1904, although one listing gives 1916. Tooley was best known in her time for her biography of Queen Victoria.

Why it matters

Tooley's book shows how Nightingale's reputation was understood by Edwardian readers. It was written as an engaging popular account, so it reflects the admiration and public image of its time more than careful research. Students can compare it with later historians who studied Nightingale's work and records.

Look closer

  • Who was Tooley writing for, and how might that shape the way she describes Nightingale?
  • Which parts of Nightingale's life does the biography emphasize, and which might it leave out?
  • How does listening to a volunteer reading differ from reading the printed book yourself?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Florence Nightingale on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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