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Achilles in Vietnam by Jonathan Shay: A Book Review

Some books don’t just inform you — they hit you in the gut. Jonathan Shay’s Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character is one of those books. As a veteran myself, this book shook me. Shay compares the stories of Vietnam veterans to Homer’s Iliad, showing how combat doesn’t just wound bodies — it unravels identity, morality, and the very sense of self.

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Overview

In this book, Shay draws a direct line between Achilles’ rage and grief in The Iliad and the trauma faced by modern soldiers. He argues that the chaos, betrayal, and moral injury of war can undo a person’s character. For Vietnam veterans, the lack of communal healing rituals (like the Greeks had) left wounds wide open.

Shay doesn’t romanticize. He listens. He lets veterans’ voices guide the book, raw and unfiltered. That honesty makes this more than history or psychology — it’s testimony.

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Key Takeaways

• Moral injury is different from PTSD. Combat isn’t just about trauma, but betrayal, loss of trust, and loss of meaning.
• Storytelling heals. Veterans heal when their stories are heard by a trustworthy community — something ancient warriors had, but modern soldiers often don’t.
• Leadership matters. Betrayal by leaders deepens wounds more than the battlefield itself.
• The Greek model of grief and ritual may offer lessons for how to truly help today’s veterans.

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Why I Recommend It

If you’ve ever wondered why veterans struggle with reintegration, why therapy sometimes fails, or why suicide rates are so high among combat veterans, this book offers answers. More than that, it offers hope: storytelling, community, and recognition of moral injury are paths forward.

This isn’t just for veterans. It’s for anyone who cares about them — families, therapists, teachers, friends. It’s an unforgettable book that will make you rethink what healing really means.

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Where to Buy

You can grab your copy of Achilles in Vietnam here:
👉 Buy on Amazon