Madness And The Military

No More Heroes is an in-depth exploration of madness and psychiatry in war from Richard A. Gabriel. The author, a former intelligence officer, traces the history of madness in war, reveals information about the behavior of men in combat, and uncovers its implications for the modern battlefield.

In this logical sequel to his Gallipoli: The Medical War (1993), Michael Tyquin deals with war neurosis or 'shell shock' as it was commonly called for many years after the First World War. In doing so he breaks new ground; the psychological casualties, the mental debris, of that war have been largely forgotten in ways and for reasons he explores and reveals. This book opened a new field of Australian history and is now presented in this new edition. It describes a neglected generation of war veterans and challenges long-cherished myths surrounding the commemoration of their war, and in examining the treatment of wartime psychological casualties it is an historical work of continuing significance.

This work, the first of its kind to be published in Australia, is a scholarly analysis of Australian soldiers who suffered psychologically in the First World War.

Over the years, some 20,000 books and articles have been written about Alexander the Great, the vast majority hailing him as possibly the greatest general that ever lived. Richard A. Gabriel, however, argues that, while Alexander was clearly a succesful soldier-adventurer, the evidence of real greatness is simply not there. The author presents Alexander as a misfit within his own warrior society, attempting to overcompensate. Thoroughly insecure and unstable, he was given to episodes of uncontrollable rage and committed brutal atrocities that would today have him vilified as a monstrous psychopath. The author believes some of his worst excesses may have been due to what we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, of which he displays many of the classic symptoms, brought on by extended exposure to violence and danger. Above all the author thinks that Alexander's military ability has been flattered by History. Alexander was tactically competent but contributed nothing truly original, while his strategy was often flawed and distorted by his obsession with personal glory. This radical reappraisal is certain to provoke debate.

What happened to soldiers who suffered psychologically in the First World War? Here, this long-ignored aspect of Australian military history is closely and compassionately examined and linked with so-called shell shock and moral injury.

Enter the Kafkaesque world of America’s famous but notorious Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where returning soldiers seek a new start to the rest of their lives. Can they overcome the traumas of war, and military service, if they are also at war with the VA? The answer is both No – government bureaucracy can be as formidable a foe as that on any battlefield or in the barracks – and Yes, given veterans’ willingness to face the demons of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), drug addiction and other military-related traumas with the help of fiercely committed social workers, psychologists and healthcare experts. Andrea Plate, author and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, spent 15 years working with America’s wounded warriors. From battlefield to bedside to group talk-therapy, she exposes the human face of war, up close and personal, and some of the most remarkably resilient souls who survived it.

Sergeant Eddie Henderson finds himself making new promises to the fallen, and to himself, as he comes face-to-face with a ruthless and cruel Viet Cong lieutenant. For the first time, will Eddie find himself putting vengeance before duty?