Includes bibliographical references (pages 329-396) and index.

"Raised in Jamaica, Mary Seacole first came to England in the 1850s after working in Panama. She wanted to volunteer as a nurse and aide during the Crimean War. When her services were rejected, she financed her own expedition to Balaclava, where her reputation for her nursing--and for her compassion--became almost legendary. Popularly known as 'Mother Seacole', she was the most famous Black celebrity of her generation--an extraordinary achievement in Victorian Britain. In Search of Mary Seacole is the fruit of almost twenty years of research and reveals the truth about Seacole's personal life, her "rivalry" with Florence Nightingale, and other misconceptions"--,Provided by publisher.