A War of Nerves: Soldiers and Psychiatrists in the Twentieth Century

A fine, well researched history of military psychological practices in the 20th century and easily comprehensible by the layman. As an American, I found the English spelling and punctuation annoying (honourable British writers reverse the use of single and double quotations, don't you know, Love), but you can get past that. I'm sure the British have similiar feelings about the American writing style. I can best compliment War of Nerves by telling you that I am citing it in a book on mental disorders during the American Civil War. Aside from that, I was intrigued by Shephard's thoughts on the creation of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a recognized mental condition, i.e., that it came into the lexicon as much or more from social and political reaction to Vietnam as a step forward in mental evaluation.

Any person interested in traumatic neurosis should read this book. It is meticulously researched, clearly written, and presents a balanced report of the struggles of the military psychiatrists of the 20th century to deal with the dilemma of war and its impact on soldiers. Any therapist, soldier, or veteran will finish much the wiser. Thanks, Ben Shephard!