Mind of Norman Bethune

The mind of Norman Bethune contains the most important and revealing writings of Norman Bethune. Illustrated with over 100 contemporary photographs The Mind of Norman Bethune uncovers one of the most fascinating and controversial figures of the 20th century.

Bethune’s distinctive place in modern history is now fully acknowledged. As a Montreal surgeon in the Great Depression, Bethune was drawn to left-wing politics. Determined to act on his beliefs, he went to Spain at the outbreak of its Civil War, and set up the first ever mobile blood transfusion service for the Loyalist forces which operated in the thick of the fighting. In 1937, Dr. Bethune journeyed to China and aided Mao Zedong’s forces who were then under attack by the Japanese.

Bethune was a complex, volatile man. His interests were many and diverse: medical, political, literary and artistic. In this unique and engaging collection, the development of a most passionate and paradoxical man is finally revealed.