THEY CALLED IT SHELL SHOCK: Combat Stress in the First World War

1-246540

Provides a new perspective on the psychological reactions to the traumatic experiences of combat. Illustrates the universal suffering of soldiers involved in this conflict and its often devastating consequences for their mental health. The focal point of the book is the soldier's experience on the battlefield that triggers his nervous breakdown, and the author links this up with the soldiers' biographies and provides a perspective on their pre-war civilian life and experience of the war.

Explains how shell shock challenged the fabric of pre-war society, including its beliefs about gender, class, and scientific progress. Argues that the shell shock epidemic had enduring consequences for the understanding of the human mind and the power that it can exert over the body. Includes a collection of unpublished first-hand accounts of life in the trenches and soldiers' traumas. Contains 72 black and white photos and illustrations.