Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character

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Synopsis
An original and groundbreaking examination of the psychological devastation of war through the lens of Homer&’s Iliad in this &“compassionate book [that] deserves a place in the lasting literature of the Vietnam War&” (The New York Times).In this moving and dazzlingly creative book, Dr. Jonathan Shay examines the psychological devastation of war by comparing the soldiers of Homer&’s Iliad with Vietnam veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. A classic of war literature that has as much relevance as ever in the wake of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Achilles in Vietnam is a &“transcendent literary adventure&” (The New York Times) and &“clearly one of the most original and most important scholarly works to have emerged from the Vietnam War&” (Tim O&’Brien, author of The Things They Carried). As a Veterans Affairs psychiatrist, Shay encountered devastating stories of unhealed PTSD and uncovered the painful paradox—that fighting for one&’s country can render one unfit to be a citizen. With a sensitive and compassionate examination of the battles many Vietnam veterans continue to fight, Shay offers readers a greater understanding of PTSD and how to alleviate the potential suffering of soldiers. Although the Iliad was written twenty-seven centuries ago, Shay shows how it has much to teach about combat trauma, as do the more recent, compelling voices and experiences of Vietnam vets. A groundbreaking and provocative monograph, Achilles in Vietnam takes readers on a literary journey that demonstrates how we can learn how war damages the mind and spirit, and work to change those things in our culture that so that we don&’t continue repeating the same mistakes.
Copyright:
1994

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
ISBN-13:
9781439124925
Related ISBNs:
9780684813219
Publisher:
Scribner
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Jonathan Shay
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
History, Military, Nonfiction, Psychology
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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