Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character

by Jonathan Shay

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684813211
• ISBN13: 9780684813219
• Release Date: October 1995
• Publisher: Scribner Book Company
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Odysseus cried...

In "Healing and Tragedy" (Chapter 11) Shay says that "Healing is done by survivors, not to survivors" and he is right. He also speaks of the healing power of narrative and says, "The ancient Greeks revered Homer, the singer of tales, as a doctor of the soul. In the Odyssey, Homer paints a (self-)portrait of the epic singer whose healing art is to tell the stories of Troy with the truth that causes the old soldier, Odysseus, to weep and weep again. (Odyssey 8:78ff)"Something like that seems to happen to Combat Veterans when they read this book. Shay is neither the bard telling the story nor the warrior who lived it, but he takes the stories of those who were there and presents them in such a way that, reading them, "the old soldier weeps and weeps again...".The truth is here. Another reviewer has viewed some of the stories with a measure of skepticism -- and there are some "red flags" in some of the stories -- but that is the nature of "War Stories" and those who know what "the facts on the ground" were can see therough all that to the essential truth that Shay so eloquently presents.I bought this book because it was recommended to me by readers of my own book, "Aftermath: A Song For Tyrone..." and I am glad I did! I wish I had read it years ago!If you are a Veteran -- or if there is a veteran who means a lot to you -- or if you just want to understand more about war and what it does to the soldier and to those who love him and to society in general -- buy this book! Buy it -- read it -- give it as a gift!

I thought I had cried enough.

When I read this book I thought I was alone watching my husband die inside every day. By the tenth page of this book, I could not read through the tears. Part relief knowing that I was not alone and saddness knowing far too well that there were too many like my husband and my family. I have read a great deal about the illness but nothing like what Jonathan Shay had put into words. His dedication to our veterans and the obvious love he has for them is rare. *(He is a great writer too)

I realize that, after 33 years, I am not alone in my thought

My emergence from the hidden life that I have inside my mind, and the recent diagnosis of Combat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, has, after 33 years of isolation, allowed me to understand all the Dr. Shay has written about. I also realize that my feelings and emotions are no different than other veterans and warriors, no matter what war, has felt upon his return. A search for my lost identity, trying to find a place in this world, and to be able to function within that place, is my goal thru the therapy that I am receiving now. Dr. Shay succinctly captures the emotions and perceptions that I have lived with for many years since my return from NAM. Also, I realize now that I am not alone with the losses of relationships, jobs, friends, and the seeking of isolation that I sought.

The Commonality of the Combat Soldier

As a Vietnam combat veteran, I was imbued with the belief that my war was "special," a unique experience in the world's military history. In reading Dr. Shay's book, I had to re-think that thesis and am now struck with the obvious conclusion that all combat, be it with Alexander the Great or Gen. Norman Schwartzkopf, inflicts psychological damage that can last a lifetime. Only geography changes. Realizing that and reading the vast parallels between The Iliad and Vietnam PTSD symptomology, I was able to understand my own emotional scars and through that self-realization, truly begin to heal those scars. I referred my therapist to the book and she told me it offered her more insight into the cause and treatment of PTSD among Vietnam veterans than any of the seminars or textbooks she'd ever encountered. This is a must read for Vietnam vets and those who care about them.