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Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming Paperback – November 25, 2003

by Jonathan Shay M.D. (Author), John McCain (Foreword), Senator Max Cleland (Foreword)
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In this ambitious follow-up to Achilles in Vietnam, Dr. Jonathan Shay uses the Odyssey, the story of a soldier's homecoming, to illuminate the pitfalls that trap many veterans on the road back to civilian life.

Seamlessly combining important psychological work and brilliant literary interpretation with an impassioned plea to renovate American military institutions, Shay deepens our understanding of both the combat veteran's experience and one of the world's greatest classics.

In Achilles in Vietnam, Dr. Jonathan Shay used the story of the Iliad as a prism through which to examine how ancient and modern wars have battered the psychology of the men who fight. Now he turns his attention to the Odyssey, the story of a soldier's homecoming, to illuminate the real problems faced by combat veterans reentering civilian society.

The Odyssey, Shay argues, offers explicit portrayals of behavior common among returning soldiers in our own culture: danger-seeking, womanizing, explosive violence, drug abuse, visitation by the dead, obsession, vagrancy and homelessness. Supporting his reading with examples from his fifteen-year practice treating Vietnam veterans, Shay shows how Odysseus's mistrustfulness, his lies, and his constant need to conceal his thoughts and emotions foreshadow the experiences of many of today's veterans. He also explains how veterans recover and advocates changes to American military practice that will protect future servicemen and servicewomen while increasing their fighting power. Throughout, Homer strengthens our understanding of what a combat veteran must overcome to return to and flourish in civilian life, just as the heartbreaking stories of the veterans Shay treats give us a new understanding of one of the world's greatest classics.
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  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    November 25, 2003
  4. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1 x 8.44 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    9780743211574
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0743211574
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“[A] fresh take on a literary classic.”—Library Journal

“A brilliant successor to Shay's groundbreaking Achilles in Vietnam.”—Richard Rhodes, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Why They Kill and The Making of the Atomic Bomb

“Should be read by anyone interested in the effects of combat on troops, or in the meaning of Homer's works -- and by everyone who wants to better understand today's United States. Buy it, read it, and make your friends read it.” —Thomas E. Ricks, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Making the Corps

“Just as the Iliad and Odyssey complement each other perfectly, so also Odysseus in America is a most worthy companion to Achilles in Vietnam. Dr. Shay has given his readers a true American Odyssey.” —Gregory Nagy, Professor of Classical Greek Literature at Harvard University, and Director of Harvard's Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, D.C.

“Provocative thinking and clarity of style on the page are Jonathan Shay's consistent hallmarks. Even those who disagree with his conclusions will find his work of profound value. This is a moral, insightful, stimulating book.” —Ralph Peters, author of Beyond Terror and Fighting for the Future Vibrant

About the Author

Jonathan Shay is a Boston-area psychiatrist whose patients are Vietnam combat veterans with severe, chronic post-traumatic stress disorder in the Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic. He is also on the faculty of Tufts Medical School. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 074321157X
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner; Reprint edition (November 25, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780743211574
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743211574
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.44 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

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Jonathan Shay

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
172 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

B.J. Turney
5.0 out of 5 stars Reality few Understand
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2021
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I came across this book originally at DI (Desert Industries) and has been a key facet of my life. Its a parralel telling of the Odyssey with Vietnam veterans treatment upon returning home. Without a doubt this book saved my life, becuase of my own experiences that are harder to explain and even harder for others to understand. Its a real eye-opener for anyone unfamiliar with the military and veterans, revealing just how many injustices they deal with in addition to thier own traumas. If this book doesn't bring you to empathize with soldiers nothing will, as it doesn't surgar-coat anything they deal with. Its a reality too many are indebted to and far to0 few show enough respect for.
3 people found this helpful
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John Uhl
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Insight and Resource!
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2021
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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.
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JeanLMPouteauMD
5.0 out of 5 stars Odysseus in America,a critique of America's forgotten heroes.
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2016
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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.
4 people found this helpful
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C. Macauley
4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant and fascinating...with one major flaw
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2014
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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.
4 people found this helpful
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Michael J. Kerrigan
5.0 out of 5 stars Odysseus the same Homecoming Many Thousands of years later
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2012
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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.
9 people found this helpful
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Derek
5.0 out of 5 stars This is Dr. Shay's second volume in which he ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2018
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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.
3 people found this helpful
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Silence Dogood
5.0 out of 5 stars Say its Name...Outstanding Reflection on Warrior Reintegration
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2020
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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
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Top reviews from other countries

James Mckenzie
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Germany on June 17, 2014
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Arrived promptly and in excellent condition. Perfectly happy with the order. Will use the company again whenever I need to.
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Jack Fordingley
5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding makes it a little less difficult
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2012
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I was born after Vietnam, and I am British, but this book is directly relevant to my experience in returning from Afghanistan, and it helps. I recommend it to anyone who wants to understand how they feel and how those close to them feel on return from that or any other war (even if we're not supposed to call it that- HiCOIN, or whatever they're calling it at the moment, is a ridiculous concept when you see the reality).

Both this and Achilles in Vietnam need to be read with care - go slowly and look after yourself, as Jonathan Shay (the actual author- John McCain only co-wrote the foreword) warns in Achilles in Vietnam. But this one is easier to read (and by that I mean it is not so overwhelming) and lets you understand more of what is going on in your head now as opposed to what caused it.

So read it if you've been to one of the dusty places. Read it if you've been somewhere else, or lots of places. Although it's very clearly Vietnam-centred, it is directly relevant to how you feel now. And note the bits that talk about how one of the characteristics of the effects of combat trauma is that we all think our own experience was less bad than the next man's. But when you think about it, when you talk to someone who's been in contact, they know what you mean, and when you talk to someone who hasn't they don't have a * clue. This book is about the way people who know what you mean feel when they get back (and years afterwards), and how to deal with what that means for you.

And if you are close to someone who lives with it, read it too. It will help you help them and help them come back to you.

So read it. And get your oppos/mates or whatever you call your friends to read it too. You never know, you could just help them come back, or at the very least admit that they need to.
6 people found this helpful
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Axenus
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 23, 2015
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thank you
One person found this helpful
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