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The number of books on the Vietnam War is, by now, vast and varied. Until recently, however, there has been very little for the public to read about the psychological effect of that conflict on the men who fought in it. Gradually, it has come to be known that the combat veterans of Vietnam suffer, in appalling numbers, from what is known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Indeed, of the three quarters of a million surviving combat veterans, one quarter of a million suffer from this disorder and the personal costs it imposes. (For a full discussion of PTSD and its symptoms, see the Introduction and Chapter 10.) In Achilles in Vietnam, Dr. Jonathan Shay casts new, challenging, and irrefutable light on the lives of these men and the ravages of combat trauma on their minds and spirits.
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For many years, Dr. Shay has been the psychiatrist for a group of Vietnam veterans. In that time, he has come to see an overwhelming and undeniable similarity between their experiences and those of the soldiers in the Iliad; after all, this centuries-old epic is about soldiers in war and its disastrous consequences for their character.
More specifically, the elements of Achilles story - the betrayal by his commander, the shrinking of his moral and social world to a small group of friends, the death of one or more of these comrades, the accompanying feelings of grief, guilt, and numbness followed by a "berserk" rage - are heard over and over in the stories of these men who were once soldiers and are still caught up in that old struggle.
Drawing at length on these men's vivid and heart-rending words, as well as on Dr. Shay's own close, ingenious, and persuasive reading of Homer's classic story, Achilles in Vietnam has already been acclaimed by soldiers, writers, classicists, and psychiatrists. It should transform any and all future discussions of the Vietnam War.
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Previews available in: English
Subjects
Mental health, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Psychological aspects, Psychological aspects of Vietnam War, 1961-1975, Psychological aspects of Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975, Psychological aspects of War, Veterans, Vietnam War, 1961-1975, Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975, War, War neuroses, New York Times reviewed, Vietnam war, 1961-1975, psychological aspects, War, psychological aspectsPeople
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United StatesShowing 5 featured editions. View all 5 editions?
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1
Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character
Dec 18, 2018, Simon & Schuster Audio and Blackstone Audio, Simon & Schuster Audio
audio cd
1508267235 9781508267232
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2
Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character
2010, Scribner
in English
1439124922 9781439124925
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3
Achilles in Vietnam: combat trauma and the undoing of character
2003, Scribner
in English
- 1st Scribner trade pbk. ed.
0684813211 9780684813219
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4
Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character
October 1, 1995, Simon & Schuster
Paperback
in English
- First Touchstone edition
0684813211 9780684813219
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5
Achilles in Vietnam: combat trauma and the undoing of character
1994, Atheneum, Maxwell Macmillan Canada, Maxwell Macmillan International
in English
0689121822 9780689121821
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Book Details
Edition Notes
Includes bibliographical references (p. 233-236) and index.
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