Book cover of Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character

Book description

An original and groundbreaking book that examines the psychological devastation of war by comparing the soldiers of Homer’s Iliad with Vietnam veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

In this moving, dazzlingly creative book, Dr. Shay examines the psychological devastation of war by comparing the soldiers of Homer’s Iliad with Vietnam…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Achilles in Vietnam as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

In a world torn by wars, Jonathan Shay offers a stunning cross-fertilization of the Homeric universe of the Iliad with the experiences of today’s soldiers on the battlefield.

Shay, a psychiatrist with a long experience of treating Vietnam veterans and a profound knowledge of Homer, achieves a remarkable double feat; he shows how the Iliad’s accounts of the battlefield provide unique insights into the experiences of today’s warriors and also how these experiences offer a profound understanding of the metamorphosis of Achilles from noble and generous hero into a demented killing machine.

He identifies the betrayal of "What is Right"…

If you love Achilles in Vietnam...

Book cover of The Rosewood Penny

The Rosewood Penny by J.S. Fields,

2023 Queer Indie Award Nominee!

The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction.

On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band they rob from the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive…

Want books like Achilles in Vietnam?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Achilles in Vietnam.

Browse books like Achilles in Vietnam

Book cover of Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming
Book cover of Iliad
Book cover of The Mighty Dead: Why Homer Matters

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,343

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Achilles in Vietnam, you might also like...

Book cover of Let Evening Come

Let Evening Come by Yvonne Osborne,

After her mother is killed in a rare Northern Michigan tornado, Sadie Wixom is left with only her father and grandfather to guide her through young adulthood. Miles away in western Saskatchewan, Stefan Montegrand and his Indigenous family are displaced from their land by multinational energy companies. They are taken…

Book cover of The Sarcophagus Scroll

The Sarcophagus Scroll by Kat Miller,

A dark academia mystery thriller set in contemporary St Andrews, with snappy dialogue and a strong sense of place.

When Ellie Meikle moves to the picturesque seaside town of St Andrews to study for her PhD in Ancient History, she soon feels as if she has made a mistake. She…

5 book lists we think you will like!