book chronicles 100 years of health care in Bermuda.

"The Bermuda Hospitals Board asked me to write the book because of my past experience writing biographies,'' said Mr. Williams, who wrote `Man of Stature: Sir Henry James Tucker' followed by `Peaceful Warrior: Sir Edward T.

Richards'.

The books chronicle economic, social and political changes in Bermuda during that time as the Island's first Government leaders.

Mr.

Williams accepted the centennial book challenge and spent the next 18 months researching and writing `One Hundred Years of Hospital Care'. He had two full-time researchers to help him gather information.

And he quickly found that 100 years of hospital history comprised civilian hospital care, and the Cottage Hospital was the evolution of King Edward VII Memorial Hospital as well as other health care facilities.

"At some point, there were five civilian hospitals operating in Bermuda,'' said Mr. Williams. "So the book is not really of King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. Rather it's a story of many hospitals culminating with King Edward.'' The book's history is based on annual reports dating back to 1895, newspapers spanning from the same period, Hospital Board Minutes, Government documents, sketches by various people and correspondence. "I had 130 oral interviews and four written interviews with people associated with the Hospital,'' Mr.

Williams said.

"I ended up with an overabundance of data which I tried to bring to life in the book. I wanted to humanise the institution rather than write straight fact,'' he added.

"But I'm pleased with the finished product. And I hope it will make people realise how far we've come. I myself learned a tremendous amount about the Hospital not only as a health care institution but as a business.'' The Book is approximately 400 pages long with 18 chapters. `Metamorphosis' deals with how the Hospital changed or was forced to change due to social moves.

`Let's Straighten Up and Fly Right' is the name of a song by the Harlem Boys Choir and the chapter talks about one of the Hospital's worst economic scandals to date -- administration employees tried to flee with thousands of pounds belonging to the Hospital. Another passage is titled `The Ugly Stepsister' and deals with a relatively unknown hospital on the Island.

But title previews aside -- the book covers approximately 20 departments in the Hospital with a special emphasis on those which are so often overlooked.

"I included a great deal of information on departments like maintenance, security and housekeeping because they are so important to the running of the Hospital,'' said Mr. Williams.

"Writing the book was exciting and exhausting. And I hope others will read and learn from it,'' he added.

Mr. Williams became interested in history at an early age. He attended West End Primary School followed by the Bermuda Technical Institute which later became the Department of Commerce and Technology. And he decided by then he wanted to be a teacher. "Mr. Colin Benbow was my history teacher at the time and he always made it come so alive,'' he said. "I knew then I wanted to teach history.'' Mr. Williams worked at Baxter's Book Store and the Bermuda Library before going to the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada to study History and Religious Studies. He went on to obtain a Bachelor of Education at the University of Western Ontario where he majored in History and Guidance.

When he returned to the Island, he taught history and library science at Berkeley Institute for seven years. "I taught Bermuda history using a local text book. But I would often send my students to the library to research. And to my great horror, very little information existed on many great personalities,'' said Mr. Williams.

"I complained to a friend who encouraged me to remedy the situation and write history. I rejected the notion at first. But two years later, I began writing the biographies -- something I never thought I would do.

"I hope as more and more people become concerned about our history, they'll buy `One Hundred Years of Hospital Care' -- it fills in another major gap,'' he said. "And it's the first time a health care centre in Bermuda has undertaken the writing of a book.'' RANDOLF WILLIAMS -- The Bermudian writer has in the past written books on Sir Henry James Tucker and Sir Edward T. Richards. He said of the book on the Hospital: "I ended up with an overabundance of data which I tried to bring to life in the book. I wanted to humanise the institution rather than write straight fact.''