Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming

The author makes a compelling case that the Odyssey is really the story of coming home after a soldier experiences the trauma of combat and the undoing of character (as detailed in “Achilles in Vietnam”). It helped me enormously in my work with vets and even those who did not experience the specific combat “flavor” of trauma. Great resource.

This is Dr. Shay's second volume in which he compares the experiences of Vietnam veterans to those of the men and women we read about in The Iliad and The Odyssey. This is astounding work. I have bought copies for friends, colleagues, and students. A most enlightening work that deserves a permanent place on your bookshelf. Too dense for a single read. You will bookmark it and return to it many times. It is for those us who wish to understand the horrors of war, what they do to the people who experience them and how to help those people heal themselves.

My research for publishing Courage in America: Warriors with Character consisted of studying over 150 books. Of that research, two standout among the scores of others: the one with the greatest influence on my research was Odysseus in America. Initially, it was like reading the cliff notes on the Odyssey. However, I was compared Dr Shay analysis of the 30 plus years of dealing with the most difficult cases of Viet Nam Veterans, I recognizes the many lesson learned for the tens of thousands of more recent veterans suffering from traumatic injuries both visible and invisible one's like TBI. Dr Shay takes the most difficult of subject and maintains the readers interest throughout the tome. Certainly, his book should be required reading in all classic and psychology courses in college as well as those high schools students who have an interest in volunteering for military careers. The other book that stands head and shoulders of others in my research was... "What it is like to go to War," by Karl Marlantes. I wish to thank both authors works for enabling my better understanding of the challenges of our nation's wounded warriors.

Outstanding book. Highly recommend it for combat vets who want to be able to identify what they are experiencing entering back into civilian life. Also recommend for anyone who may work with or encounter combat veterans in their work to include counselors, social workers, private security and law enforcement

Good companion to Dr. Shay's eye opening PTSD breakthrough, "Achilles in Vietnam". Even after all these years there were new revelations for this old Marine grunt reader. Highly recommended for the vet of any war or his family.

For insight into returning combat Veterans Dr. Shay is a wealth of insight. At times I got the feel that his reading of the Homer's classics moved toward isogesis (opposite of "exegesis"; reading his own meanings into the text). But with regard to his experience of working with Vietnam Veterans the book is worth buying twice.

Anyone who works with veterans in any capacity - whether as a health care provider or simply as a coworker - should read this book for insights into why seemingly random, self-destructive behaviors actually make sense in the context of a person who has experienced military conflict.

Nothing changes-only the characters' names. Odysseus, or maybe Ulysses, is going to find his way home but damaged as are the solders coming home now-to their bewildered wives who have had to cope in their absence-Doctor Jonathan Shay knows his history as was shown in ACHILLES IN VIETNAM. In this analysis of the return of the soldier he shows he understands the human heart as well. It is better to weep over a story because you can close the book-more difficult to cry over real life because then you will never stop.And we have been crying over Penelope and the wandering Odysseus forever-

A beautifully written account of the Vietnam combat veteran's struggle to resume his life after finishing his military service. Dr. Shay deserves a great deal of credit for his devotion to men who, after facing death, dismemberment and character damage, try to resume their lives. I have read the Odyssey several times but after reading his book about the trials of Odysseus, on rereading the Odyssey realized that previously I had been reading for entertainment. Now, I could see that Odysseus was a much damaged man. He was very successful as a warrior and military tactician, but was also distrustful, unable to delegate authority, constantly "on mission". This fits the profile of a psychologically damaged combat veteran. Dr. Shay's work with these veterans fills me with much admiration, especially since I have done similar work caring for many veterans and some Vietnamese refugees who also suffered in varying degree from PTSD.

Shay has the most unique perspective I’ve ever read in terms of Homer, can’t recommend enough.

The author makes a compelling case that the Odyssey is really the story of coming home after a soldier experiences the trauma of combat and the undoing of character (as detailed in “Achilles in Vietnam”). It helped me enormously in my work with vets and even those who did not experience the specific combat “flavor” of trauma. Great resource.

This is Dr. Shay's second volume in which he compares the experiences of Vietnam veterans to those of the men and women we read about in The Iliad and The Odyssey. This is astounding work. I have bought copies for friends, colleagues, and students. A most enlightening work that deserves a permanent place on your bookshelf. Too dense for a single read. You will bookmark it and return to it many times. It is for those us who wish to understand the horrors of war, what they do to the people who experience them and how to help those people heal themselves.

My research for publishing Courage in America: Warriors with Character consisted of studying over 150 books. Of that research, two standout among the scores of others: the one with the greatest influence on my research was Odysseus in America. Initially, it was like reading the cliff notes on the Odyssey. However, I was compared Dr Shay analysis of the 30 plus years of dealing with the most difficult cases of Viet Nam Veterans, I recognizes the many lesson learned for the tens of thousands of more recent veterans suffering from traumatic injuries both visible and invisible one's like TBI. Dr Shay takes the most difficult of subject and maintains the readers interest throughout the tome. Certainly, his book should be required reading in all classic and psychology courses in college as well as those high schools students who have an interest in volunteering for military careers. The other book that stands head and shoulders of others in my research was... "What it is like to go to War," by Karl Marlantes. I wish to thank both authors works for enabling my better understanding of the challenges of our nation's wounded warriors.

Outstanding book. Highly recommend it for combat vets who want to be able to identify what they are experiencing entering back into civilian life. Also recommend for anyone who may work with or encounter combat veterans in their work to include counselors, social workers, private security and law enforcement

Good companion to Dr. Shay's eye opening PTSD breakthrough, "Achilles in Vietnam". Even after all these years there were new revelations for this old Marine grunt reader. Highly recommended for the vet of any war or his family.

For insight into returning combat Veterans Dr. Shay is a wealth of insight. At times I got the feel that his reading of the Homer's classics moved toward isogesis (opposite of "exegesis"; reading his own meanings into the text). But with regard to his experience of working with Vietnam Veterans the book is worth buying twice.

Anyone who works with veterans in any capacity - whether as a health care provider or simply as a coworker - should read this book for insights into why seemingly random, self-destructive behaviors actually make sense in the context of a person who has experienced military conflict.

Nothing changes-only the characters' names. Odysseus, or maybe Ulysses, is going to find his way home but damaged as are the solders coming home now-to their bewildered wives who have had to cope in their absence-Doctor Jonathan Shay knows his history as was shown in ACHILLES IN VIETNAM. In this analysis of the return of the soldier he shows he understands the human heart as well. It is better to weep over a story because you can close the book-more difficult to cry over real life because then you will never stop.And we have been crying over Penelope and the wandering Odysseus forever-

A beautifully written account of the Vietnam combat veteran's struggle to resume his life after finishing his military service. Dr. Shay deserves a great deal of credit for his devotion to men who, after facing death, dismemberment and character damage, try to resume their lives. I have read the Odyssey several times but after reading his book about the trials of Odysseus, on rereading the Odyssey realized that previously I had been reading for entertainment. Now, I could see that Odysseus was a much damaged man. He was very successful as a warrior and military tactician, but was also distrustful, unable to delegate authority, constantly "on mission". This fits the profile of a psychologically damaged combat veteran. Dr. Shay's work with these veterans fills me with much admiration, especially since I have done similar work caring for many veterans and some Vietnamese refugees who also suffered in varying degree from PTSD.

Shay has the most unique perspective I’ve ever read in terms of Homer, can’t recommend enough.

This is excellent for Every Vietnam Vet Get it 😲

Great book that deals with a Veteran's return home and how it affects his relationships with his community and family. Very enlightening. Enjoyed it very much. Must read for those dealing with Veterans coming home.

Shay makes the Homeric epics sear and haunt through personal narrative of VietNam veterans. This second work, placed within the framework of the Odyssey, heightens the parallels: the long journey home-- wherever home is, and can one reintegrate back into family and society whole, if faith in the world is forever changed, and sense of self, forever altered. I have purchased 4 copies of this work as well as Shay's Achilles to share with friends. Enlightening, disturbing, unsettling....

This book is absolutely a MUST READ for veterans battling with PTSD

good recommendation from a friend

On time, as advertised

Jonathan Shay has written another good book on the problems of soldiers, this time, when they return to an unforgiving public. Warriors do the job to keep other people free, & are then rejected when they try to return to society. The readjustment difficulties from a structured life to an unstructured life are more than some can deal with. "Odysseus In America" is a must read for VA psychiatrists, & families trying to deal with troubled veterans.

Great book

Less good than his prior book: "Achilles in Vietnam".

I learned but I wanted more practical advice for me as a wife of a Vietnam Veteran ! Do you have recommendations for further reading for me?

'Odysseus in America' is an excellent reading of war, in Odysseus's time and ours, in its analysis and insights into combat trauma and the trials that follow as veterans make their way home and attempt to reintegrate themselves into civilian society. The writing is superb, the insights are wonderfully apt, the research puts author Jonathan Shay in the top-scholar class. The same applies to his 'Achilles in Vietnam'.

Jonathan Shay explain the torturous experiences of those who were caught in war. No one I know has ever recovered from the killing zone without some level of debriefing and counseling. I certainly did not. A must read for everyone in our crazy world.

A VA counselor retells the actual stories from our soldiers - and draws parallels with the Trojan War. His conclusion is that the issues caused by war - separated by only 27 centuries - are exactly the same. Good insight into PTSD.

If you love a combat vet, especially a Vietnam vet, this is a must read book. If you are a combat vet, especially a Vietnam vet, this is a must read book.

Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming changed my life. This is my third copy. I've given the book to Veterans. Some copies come back to me other travel to other readers. It's all good...

One of the great seminal books on combat and PTSD. I have PTSD, its true to the reality and I highly recommend it.

When you begin to see how war damages the moral fabric of society by learning how warriors of long ago were affected, it is profoundly meaningful. Humans engage in war for political reasons first, then suffer for generations with spiritual conflict that requires healthy human connectedness for healing the emotional damage.

Excellent. Very happy. No complaints

Approached from a Pharmacist point of view. The book is a well written overview of the damage extreme stress in wartime can inflict on the emotional center of the brain. Encourages me to learn more so that I may help heal these heros. I will satisfy my required Continuing Pharmacy Education in the field of PTSD.

Exceedingly perceptive. Before I read Shay, I checked out the talking book of The Odyssey and listened to it while I drove my car around town. Very good background before I tackled the Shay book.

OUTSTANDING

Great read!!!

As a Viet Nam veteran and a classicist, I greatly appreciated "Odysseus" (and "Achilles"!): the juxtaposition brought light and understanding to both wars.

Companion volume to Shay's 1993 "Achilles in Vietnam", these two books should best be published in a single edition, as they deal with the same themes. Shay's brilliant thesis is that the Iliad and the Odyssey represent the universal experiences of soldiers throughout the centuries. His careful and extremely insightful interpretations of the Homeric epics serve to describe a new theory of psychological trauma, its causes, treatment and prevention. The idea alone is genius, but Shay's lucid and elegant prose make the reading itself a sublime experience. Using the Odyssey as a metaphor is not new. What is new is that Shay interprets each chapter in light of the experiences and behavior of returning veterans, based on Shay's many years of experience treating veterans of the Vietnam War. In the original tale, each adventure further stripped Odysseus of his men, his ships and his dignity; Shay argues that in fact Odysseus was at fault for much of this loss through poor judgement and egoism, stemming from his own history of trauma. Particularly poignant is the relationship of Odysseus (and every veteran) with the dead--comrades, enemies and innocents alike, and how Shay has worked with this by bringing veterans to the Memorial Wall in Washington DC. Shay ends with a discussion of how combat trauma might be prevented if the US military were reorganized and certain protocols instituted. There is some indication that his advice is being followed, although progress is slow. Nonetheless, Shay's contribution to military mental health is significant and far-reaching. I couldn't give this book 5 stars because of one error that stood out. Shay argues that military changes that exacerbated combat trauma began during WWII, and refers to "the poor combat performance of American troops against their German army adversaries," saying that "we lost so many of our battles against the Germans" as a result of poor leadership and lack of cohesion. Shay says that American officers "demanded blind obedience" while the Germans practiced "positive leadership" and displayed integrity and sensitivity to the needs of their subordinates. This is totally contrary to historical fact. Shay is clearly an expert on the US military of the Vietnam era, but these bizarrely inaccurate statements about WWII show that he has much to learn about both the American and German armies of that period. I think he is not above distorting the facts to make a point. All that aside, I enjoyed this book thoroughly and will refer back to it often in my work with trauma survivors.

Enjoyed this companion to Achilles in Vietnam. It continues the scholarly comparison of Homer 's works and the modern warrior's experience in and coming home from battle.

Shay writes an insightful and human account of war trauma and its effects based on very accessible metaphors from "The Odyssey".

Book was advertised. Thank you so much.

The companion to Achilles in Vietnam, the book deals with the “return home” from Vietnam and mentions things I recall. I wonder how closely the return from Vietnam matches what our military experience this past decade when they return from Iraq and Afghanistan

did not want to read this book at first becuase i was forced to by my battalion commander. but once i finished i was not dissappointed.

A terrific text. The only thing that kept it from getting five stars were his recommendations at the end of the book. Other than that, an excellent book for returning soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines and their families and friends.

Good reading for Vietnam Veterans.

Shay's decades of work with Vietnam veterans, as described and explained in this book, helped formalize the syndrome of behavior that came to be known as post traumatic stress disorder. It afflicts soldiers living in mortal danger for long periods of time, leaving them afterwards in a near-permanent state of hyper-vigilance. They have suffered what Shay characterizes as a moral injury, which like other disabling war injuries prevents them from returning fully to civilian life. He calls it a moral injury because what has been injured is the ability to trust - even those closest and dearest - and living in the civilian world is impossible without it. The ancients, Shay argues, understood the psychological dangers of combat for those who fight, survive, and return home. The combination of both cunning (necessary for survival) and the predictable errors in judgment among those who both give and take orders are reflected in the character of Odysseus, who returns with his men from the Trojan War in Homer's "The Odyssey." There is, Shay asserts, good reason why his name means literally, "he who makes trouble for others." The loss of all of his men and then the bloodbath that follows his arrival in Ithaca, as he eliminates Penelope's suitors, illustrate how violence and death follow him long after the war is over. The fault lies not in individual men, Shay argues, but in a kind of military command that treats them as replaceable parts of a large fighting machine, instead of as groups of soldiers who train and fight together and then are demobilized together. The communal aspect of this supportive group process helps men and women make the return safely and helps them overcome the aftermath of war's traumatizing impact. Again and again, Shay argues that it is our responsibility as citizens to be sure that those who have risked their lives to serve in the armed forces are provided in turn with the vital services they need to re-enter the world they left behind and to live once again at peace with themselves and others. His argument gives new and urgent meaning to the phrase "Support Our Troops."

This book is wonderful. Coming back from Iraq my girlfriend could only quietly accept my sudden anger at 'little old ladies' who got too close to me with their shopping carts in the megamall. But with her quiet acceptance on so many things changed about me, there were still small fights between us when I could not go out with her friends (who I felt were shallow and petty... Odysseus' attitude toward the rich civilians) or why I hated to drive downtown, and how our sex life was really going through the motions and so on and so forth. So many things in this book are mirrored in my own life and the lives of friends who have come back with me. So many of our behaviors and attitudes and great anger are accepted at first by friends and loved ones but they grow tired of us quickly and do not understand why we cannot change back into the people we were before the war. Every NCO is charged with taking care of his/her men. NCOs mentor and guide the troops under their care. Read this book and talk to your troops. Read this book and talk to your families. Every deploying unit should buy this book and give it to the spouses left behind, that they can read it while the deployment lasts, that they can talk about it and be ready for the changed men and women we will be after coming back home. We cannot entertain ourselves and distract ourselves from the fact that our troops are coming back changed. The hard-won lessons learned from world wars 1 and 2 in the care of combat stress were utterly forgotten in treating those coming back from Vietnam and a nation said 'never again'. Yet those hard won lessons on what combat stress are and how to deal with it were, again, thrown out and we are having to learn it all again. Thank you to the veterans of past wars, my heroes, who have stepped up with their stories to welcome me back and to guide me back through my own homecoming. SSG Black, Oregon Army National Guard 2004-2010, USMC 1989-1994

This book discusses how soldiers, both in ancient Greece and in Vietnam, coped with what they'd seen and done during the war once they came home. Ingrained behaviors that once kept them alive now had no place, and civilians (even family) often denied them the emotional safety needed to express their pain and trauma so that they could come to a place of healing. The first part of the book breaks down the various adventures in Odysseus and shows how each demonstrates an experience or coping behavior of military personal who have returned from war. (A summary version of the epic poem is provided in the appendix for those who haven't read it lately.) The author then gives examples of similar problems and coping behaviors that he's seen in his work with Vietnam veterans with severe PTSD. The second part of the book briefly discusses several methods the author has successfully used to help restore veterans with severe PTSD to healthy, useful lives. The last part of the book shows how the current military practices (in organization and incentives) could be changed to help prevent PTSD while also making our forces more effective as fighting units. Frankly, I was appalled to discover that some effective, life-saving military organizational practices were discarded for very petty reasons. I hope things have changed in this regard since 2002. The author has a very different worldview than I do. He believes that war and subsequent coping behavior come from how we evolved. He also seems to believe that all religions are equally able to help veterans cope with their feelings of guilt. Because of our different worldviews, I was not entirely convinced by several of his conclusions throughout the book. Overall, this book was interesting and easy to read. The veteran's story's were often heart-rending. This book was a valuable source of information about the struggles of Vietnam veterans, some ways these struggles can be won, and some ways PTSD can be prevented in future generations of military personal. I'd recommend this book to anyone who has served in the military during a war (though there may be better books out there for those who are actually struggling with severe PTSD) or to anyone who wants a better understanding of what Vietnam veterans went through upon their return from war. Different Time, Different Place Book Reviews [...]

As those of us who live and work with war trauma know, for many, the Vietnam War is not over.Jonathan Shay writes: "The Vietnam veterans that I have worked with were treated shabbily by both the political right - who scorned them as 'losers'...and by the political left, who held them responsible for everything vile or wrongheaded that led us into the war, was done during the war, or came after the war." I encountered a similar situation in my work with Russian veterans of their war in Afghanistan. Dr. Shay's book provides his readers with valuable insights into the challenges facing soldiers returning from a controversial war.His book is a must read for those who care about the mental and physical health and well being of our returning veterans. Anngwyn St.Just Ph.D. Director of the Arizona Center for Social Trauma and author of " Relative Balance in an Unstable World:The Search for New Models for Trauma Education and Recovery ( 2006 Carl-Auer Verlag, Heidelberg)

One of the best books I ever read about restoring dignity to experiences that in the modern era have been reduced to psychiatric diagnoses and stripped of their universal human meaning and context. De-pathologizing and restorative without being sentimental. Beautifully written and original and full of hard-headed compassion that does not shrink from describing what is real.

Wholehearted recommendation for those interested in how ancient Greek literature is as relevant today as it was then. Shay's analogies feel on point and relevant to more than just military personnel.

Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Coming Home is the quintessential book on veteran transition. Doctor Jonathan Shay uses the Odyssey to tell the story of a soldier's homecoming and the difficulty of reintegration into society. While each person is different in their experiences, everyone in uniform will face some sort of transition. Navigating the waters of how to transition effectively and avoid the pitfalls, is clearly explained in brilliant detail. Using Homer's classic is the perfect way to describe the process of coming home. I was extremely fortunate to have collaborated with Dr. Jonathan Shay on a program called Restoring Community in the Workplace; which aimed to help our veterans find gainful employment as they transitioned from the military. While the endeavor did not pan out, the experience of working so closely with Dr. Shay is one that I cherish. How often do you get to learn from such an expert? Dr. Shay opened my eyes to how hard it is for some to find their path. As a veteran I am both fortunate to call Jonathan a friend and to have read such a book as I transition back into "civilian" life. This is a must read for all veterans and citizens. Also please check out The Frontlines [...]

READ THIS BOOK, because no movie or book has ever captured as vividly and realistically the combat veterans painful re-entry into normal civilian life as Jonathan Shay's "Odysseus in America". READ THIS BOOK and learn that Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey" are true stories of combat veterans. This will surprise and delight anyone who enjoys the classics or war stories. READ THIS BOOK and understand what the American combat veteran experiences on his return home. Anyone involved in the helping professions will enjoy and benefit. Anybody who has a combat veteran in their family will learn and be better for it. READ THIS BOOK and you will understand the great sin that we all commit against our veterans; especially Vietnam vets. Every woman who has a son will want to read this. READ THIS BOOK and you will finally understand Homer. Dr. Jonathan Shay has shown that it is as true today as it was thousands of years ago that warfare makes men different. He is a psychiatrist who works with veterans in the Boston VA. In his first book "Achilles in Vietnam" he explained the cycle of trauma and pain that is inflicted by combat. This sequence is --betrayal of what's right by commanders (a common Vietnam story), a soldier's rage at this injustice, their withdrawal into a circle of the closest comrades, then the loss of these comrades with accompanying deep guilt and the growing feeling of being already dead, and then the ice cold berserker state and loss of fear in combat. Then veteran is whisked from the killing ground and immediately plunked down in America. He comes home the way he was in Vietnam. Shay explains that Odysseus doesn't trust anybody, tells a lot of lies, gets into a lot of dangerous and foolish situations, conceals himself, disguises himself, and emotionally is as cold as ice to those closest to him. This is realistic of combat veterans at home. He is forever different. How do I know this? I am a Vietnam veteran and served in the 101st Airborne and 1st Infantry Divisions. When I read "Achilles in Vietnam" I said, "He's captured what happened to us and the way we felt." Now Shay has captured our struggles to live normal lives. And, I my true life experiences are part of "Odysseus in America". Shay has one other story in "Odysseus in America". That is prevention of the destruction of our soldiers' psyche. He has ignited a debate for reform. And, Senator John McCain and Max Cleland (both Vietnam veterans) to voice their agreement with Shay. His plan for reform consists of ending the "individual replacement system." Shay explains that, "These kids go into the military and give their total trust and lives to the Army. Then the Army breaks this bond by immediately sending them into combat without the support of anyone they know. They fight alone, and they die alone. This is the consequence of the "individual replacement system" started in World War I, continued in WW II, Korea and Vietnam. We need to change this "individual replacement system" in the military to a "unit replacement system". We need to recognize the need for cohesion and community and, therefore, maintenance of trust throughout the military, right into combat. And then keep them together right out the other side. This is the single most important need for reform to prevent psychological and moral injury in the military." Every parent with kids who may end up serving will want to read this argument for reform. Our country is mis-using our children and needs to change the military's stupidity. READ THIS BOOK to save your child. We are probably going to live with some level of warfare for the next few decades and we need a military reform.

This book was chosen as required reading for Combat Logistics Regiment-25 Officers returning from Iraq. The following is my personal comments and do not necesarliy reflect the view of CLR-25, the United States Marine Corps or the United States Government. Dr. Shay M.D uses the story of Odysseus 10 year trip home from the Trojan War as an allegory for Vietnam Veterans return home. It is interesting reading with lots of good "war stories" to keep the pace lively. However the book can be quite academic at times. The allegory is very plain. Odysseus is a soldier having trouble getting home and adjusting. Some Vietnam Veterans had trouble adjusting. Dr Shay defines Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as persistence of valid adaptations to danger into a time of safety afterward. In other words the Veteran with PTSD that freak's out in crowds is doing so because "crowds draw mortar fire". He lists some of the skills that combat veterans learn are: * Control of fear * Cunning, the arts of deception, the arts of the "mind f--k." * Control of violence against members of their own group. * The capacity to respond skillfully and instantly with violent, lethal force. * Vigilance, perpetual mobilization for danger. * Regarding fixed rules as possible threats to their own and their comrade's survival. * Regarding fixed "rules of war" as possible advantages to be gained over the enemy. * Suppression of compassion, horror, guilt, tenderness, grief, disgust. * The capacity to lie fluently and convincingly. * Physical strength, quickness, endurance, stealth. * Skill at locating and grabbing needed supplies whether officially provided or not. * Skill in the use of a variety of lethal weapons. * Skill in adapting to harsh physical conditions. With the expectation of physical fitness all of these can cause problems in civilian life. The book is completely Vietnam biased, which is to be expected, because all of Dr Shay's patients are Vietnam Veterans. However the book contains a strong bias that he shares from his patients views. In particular there was an overall opinion that officers were incompetent and not to be trusted. It is noteworthy that none of his patients were officers. The solutions that he recommends are hardly novel. Cohesion, Leadership, and Training. He makes a strong case that the individual rotation method used in Vietnam left a returning veteran alone to deal with his demons without the support. However he does come to a conclusion that I am sure surprised him given what seems to be his natural "anti-war' tendencies and hopes that war can be abolished. In the end he comes to the conclusion that it is a moral responsibility for Officers to train themselves and their men to the highest level possible, because the quicker the war, the fewer the physical casualties, the fewer the psychological traumas. Personally I did draw some conclusions from the book. First, survivors are superstitious. Second, reservists should deploy as a unit in company or larger size.

After reading it and puzzling over it for a couple of months I can honestly say I understand what I have put my wife through for the last 36 and one-half years. Every combat veteran needs to read this book. Just for the understanding if nothing else. Oh, if it is not too late, get some help too.