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hoboken's review against another edition
4.0
The companion volumes Achilles in Vietnam and Odysseus in America are profound discussions of what war does to men and women who become grunts in the field and then are expected to return to civilian life and come to terms with various levels of PTSD in a world that knows nothing about their experiences. The author is a clinical psychiatrist who works with Vietnam vets who have PTSD in Boston. The books are vivid, gripping, and heartbreaking. Using the Iliad and the Odyssey as metaphors for the universal experience of what it's like to fight a war and then try to return home is inspired. The books make an illuminating accompaniment to Ken Burns's series on the Vietnam War, but they're by no means pertinent only to Vietnam. The news from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and everywhere else flows through your head as you read. They're excellent and valuable for every citizen whose country can't seem to stop sending people to die for unclear reasons and keeps botching the execution.
valkyriejmu's review against another edition
5.0
My father is a veteran of World War II, not Vietnam, but my friends' fathers are Vietnam vets and I encounter more than my share of such vets when I accompany my dad to the VA Hospital.
This was the first book that gave expression to my belief that, in some way I couldn't quite put my finger on, our soldiers were being shortchanged. It's not just Vietnam, it's all of them. This book helped me set an additional goal to my commitment to pacifism. While I prefer that no one fights a war, if you MUST, you shouldn't be screwed by the government you fought for.
I've found, unfortunately, that a lot of veterans (including my dad) don't feel they deserve to be treated any better than they are. That's a complete shame and it's up to all of us to help them fight for what they deserve at home as well.
This was the first book that gave expression to my belief that, in some way I couldn't quite put my finger on, our soldiers were being shortchanged. It's not just Vietnam, it's all of them. This book helped me set an additional goal to my commitment to pacifism. While I prefer that no one fights a war, if you MUST, you shouldn't be screwed by the government you fought for.
I've found, unfortunately, that a lot of veterans (including my dad) don't feel they deserve to be treated any better than they are. That's a complete shame and it's up to all of us to help them fight for what they deserve at home as well.
lindsayjohnna's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't prepared for how extremely interesting and impactful this book would be; I figured it would just provide excerpts for my Odyssey Unit. However, the subject of trauma is, sadly, all too familiar to many of my students and although this book focuses on Vietnam veterans, it remains as relevant as ever in today's tumultuous climate. I could honestly teach an entire class about trauma in literature, with this as a foundational text.
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