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Shell Shock: The Psychological Impact of the War
The terrible physical effects of sending men into battle have always been self-evident, but only in modern times have the psychological effects been examined. Killing, watching friends die, leading soldiers to their deaths - all have a profound effect on those involved in the front line of war. There is a limit to what a soldier can endure before he becomes the victim of shell shock, battle fatigue, PTSD, or whatever terminology is in vogue. In this book, linked to a Channel 4 television series, individual soldiers tell their own stories of horrors to which they have been exposed, and of events that pushed them to the brink of human endurance. The author also relates the history of military psychiatry and the scientists who have to balance the demands of the army to "cure" soldiers and return them to battle with the demands of the soldiers themselves, struggling to understand their condition.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1998
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152 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Holden
36 books270 followersWendy Holden, also known as Taylor Holden, is an experienced author and novelist with more than thirty books already published, including two novels. She has had numerous works transferred to radio and television.
A journalist for eighteen years, ten on the Daily Telegraph of London, her first novel THE SENSE OF PAPER was published by Random House, New York, in 2006 to widespread critical acclaim. Her non-fiction titles have chiefly chronicled the lives of remarkable subjects. The latest is BORN SURVIVORS, the incredible story of three mothers who defied death at the hands of the Nazis to give life. She has also written the memoir of the only woman in the French Foreign Legion in TOMORROW TO BE BRAVE, and about the mother of a woman killed after marrying a Sudanese warlord in TILL THE SUN GROWS COLD. She wrote A LOTUS GROWS IN THE MUD - the memoir of actress Goldie Hawn - and LADY BLUE EYES, the autobiography of Frank Sinatra’s widow Barbara, all of which were New York Times and Sunday Times bestsellers.
She also wrote the international bestseller TEN MINDFUL MINUTES, her second book with Goldie Hawn and the first in a series of books for parents and children. She wrote KILL SWITCH, the memoir of an honourable British soldier wrongly imprisoned in Afghanistan as well as BEHIND ENEMY LINES, about a young Jewish spy who repeatedly crossed German lines. Her book MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS, a biography of Dean Martin as seen through his daughter’s eyes has become an enduring bestseller and she worked with Billy Connolly on JOURNEY TO THE EDGE OF THE WORLD his TV-companion travel guide to the Northwest Passage screened around the world. She co-wrote American male supermodel Bruce Hulse’s explosive memoir, SEX, LOVE AND FASHION. Other works have included CENTRAL 822, the autobiography of a pioneering policewoman at Scotland Yard which was dramatised on BBC Radio, BITING THE BULLET, charting the remarkable life of an SAS wife, and FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW, the story of a paraplegic made into a British TV drama starring Caroline Quentin. Wendy was also responsible for the bestselling novelisations of the films THE FULL MONTY and WAKING NED. Her first book, UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE the true story of the controversial Irish abortion case was banned in Ireland. SHELL SHOCK, her history of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, went with an award-winning Channel 4 television documentary series. She lives in Suffolk, England, with her husband and two dogs and divides her time between the UK and the US.
A journalist for eighteen years, ten on the Daily Telegraph of London, her first novel THE SENSE OF PAPER was published by Random House, New York, in 2006 to widespread critical acclaim. Her non-fiction titles have chiefly chronicled the lives of remarkable subjects. The latest is BORN SURVIVORS, the incredible story of three mothers who defied death at the hands of the Nazis to give life. She has also written the memoir of the only woman in the French Foreign Legion in TOMORROW TO BE BRAVE, and about the mother of a woman killed after marrying a Sudanese warlord in TILL THE SUN GROWS COLD. She wrote A LOTUS GROWS IN THE MUD - the memoir of actress Goldie Hawn - and LADY BLUE EYES, the autobiography of Frank Sinatra’s widow Barbara, all of which were New York Times and Sunday Times bestsellers.
She also wrote the international bestseller TEN MINDFUL MINUTES, her second book with Goldie Hawn and the first in a series of books for parents and children. She wrote KILL SWITCH, the memoir of an honourable British soldier wrongly imprisoned in Afghanistan as well as BEHIND ENEMY LINES, about a young Jewish spy who repeatedly crossed German lines. Her book MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS, a biography of Dean Martin as seen through his daughter’s eyes has become an enduring bestseller and she worked with Billy Connolly on JOURNEY TO THE EDGE OF THE WORLD his TV-companion travel guide to the Northwest Passage screened around the world. She co-wrote American male supermodel Bruce Hulse’s explosive memoir, SEX, LOVE AND FASHION. Other works have included CENTRAL 822, the autobiography of a pioneering policewoman at Scotland Yard which was dramatised on BBC Radio, BITING THE BULLET, charting the remarkable life of an SAS wife, and FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW, the story of a paraplegic made into a British TV drama starring Caroline Quentin. Wendy was also responsible for the bestselling novelisations of the films THE FULL MONTY and WAKING NED. Her first book, UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE the true story of the controversial Irish abortion case was banned in Ireland. SHELL SHOCK, her history of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, went with an award-winning Channel 4 television documentary series. She lives in Suffolk, England, with her husband and two dogs and divides her time between the UK and the US.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 17, 2017
This excellent book examines the tragic breaking experience of many in war, their minds traumatised; the often divergent response of Doctors and the Military and how the spectrum of treatment has evolved from firing squad for cowardice to rehabilitation with psychological management.
December 10, 2023
A precise and well-written essay, nothing too original, but a very good presentation of the topic.
November 15, 2016
In Wendy Holden’s superb 'Shell Shock,' the history of mental conditions in the armed services is examined, starting (after a brief introduction to 19th century and earlier references) with World War 1, then going forwards.
Although I read this book for research, I think I likely would have read it anyway, as it deals with psychological issues that can affect anybody – and because it opens up the near absurd world of masculinity, war, repression and sheer blind stupidity.
The three chapters dealing with World War 1 are particularly revealing because they show the barbaric attitudes of officers and the armed services generally at the beginning of the 20th century, which, combined with widespread ignorance, led in many cases to a worsening of already terrible mental crises. The chapters dealing with World War 2 are also excellent. Personally I was less interested with latter chapters, but they were uniformly excellent and fair-minded, highlighting the continuing avoidance of humanity and responsibility in the armed forces.
Although this book has a specific remit, it in fact deals with the childish, inhumane and delusional attitudes of men as much as anything military. The folly of men is clear on every page. With the exception of such fine characters as W.R. Rivers and Tom Pear, it is virtually a manual on how not to be a human being.
Highly recommended as an introduction to this area, and as an insight into extreme times.
Although I read this book for research, I think I likely would have read it anyway, as it deals with psychological issues that can affect anybody – and because it opens up the near absurd world of masculinity, war, repression and sheer blind stupidity.
The three chapters dealing with World War 1 are particularly revealing because they show the barbaric attitudes of officers and the armed services generally at the beginning of the 20th century, which, combined with widespread ignorance, led in many cases to a worsening of already terrible mental crises. The chapters dealing with World War 2 are also excellent. Personally I was less interested with latter chapters, but they were uniformly excellent and fair-minded, highlighting the continuing avoidance of humanity and responsibility in the armed forces.
Although this book has a specific remit, it in fact deals with the childish, inhumane and delusional attitudes of men as much as anything military. The folly of men is clear on every page. With the exception of such fine characters as W.R. Rivers and Tom Pear, it is virtually a manual on how not to be a human being.
Highly recommended as an introduction to this area, and as an insight into extreme times.
July 17, 2025
There is a lot of good information in this book, but I suspect most came from the initial Channel 4 series to which this is a companion. Holden’s writing seems rushed, to the point of slapdash at times. The proofreading and editing process by Channel 4 Books feels faulty. Nevertheless, she pulls together a lot of information from several twentieth century wars and brings knowledge and opinions up to date, as far as this book, published in 1998, is concerned.
I have done some research into ww1 and it’s psychological effects, and felt that the first few chapters were giving a good overview of that, with the added benefit of individual cases and interviews which I had not known about before. And then the 11/11/18 peace was described as being signed by “Nazi command” (2 years before the party had even been formed and 2 decades before it would have any power), after which I could not be certain about the veracity of any of the details, particularly as I have a lot less basic knowledge about the rest of the conflicts described in the book. There were also a lot of typos and lack of tense continuity and a tendency to forget that in the second half of the 20th century not all those in the armed services were men.
That said, it was fascinating to see how similar the reactions to battle experience were throughout the century. The slowness of the military commands to accept, predict, prevent and take responsibility for PTSD cases was not a surprise, but the fact that after they had done, care which ought to have helped didn’t actually make any difference, was surprising.
Overall, I’d say this is a good first look at the subject, or a good reminder with linking lines of argument, but I would advise double-checking before quoting any facts from the book.
I have done some research into ww1 and it’s psychological effects, and felt that the first few chapters were giving a good overview of that, with the added benefit of individual cases and interviews which I had not known about before. And then the 11/11/18 peace was described as being signed by “Nazi command” (2 years before the party had even been formed and 2 decades before it would have any power), after which I could not be certain about the veracity of any of the details, particularly as I have a lot less basic knowledge about the rest of the conflicts described in the book. There were also a lot of typos and lack of tense continuity and a tendency to forget that in the second half of the 20th century not all those in the armed services were men.
That said, it was fascinating to see how similar the reactions to battle experience were throughout the century. The slowness of the military commands to accept, predict, prevent and take responsibility for PTSD cases was not a surprise, but the fact that after they had done, care which ought to have helped didn’t actually make any difference, was surprising.
Overall, I’d say this is a good first look at the subject, or a good reminder with linking lines of argument, but I would advise double-checking before quoting any facts from the book.
February 4, 2018
An interesting book, companion to the Channel 4 television series. Given the nature of the format, it covers fairly familiar ground, starting with the first mass appearance of shell shock, during the First World War, and then tracing its treatment and the reactions of the armed forces and society over the years since then. The chapters on the Second World War were of particular interest, as they brought out how extensive shell shock was in that conflict, despite the much smaller deployment of British forces and the absence (on the whole) of the extended periods of static warfare experienced in the previous conflict. The exploration of PTSD during the (first) Gulf War was also valuable, as they revealed that, even though the army was far better prepared, the incidence of mental health problems, both during the flighting and afterwards, remained significant.
Not a work for the academic reader, but a useful introduction to a difficult subject that is often gently swept under the carpet or else magnified and distorted for political ends.
Not a work for the academic reader, but a useful introduction to a difficult subject that is often gently swept under the carpet or else magnified and distorted for political ends.
February 13, 2021
My grandmother worked for the Red Cross in Germany during WWII. Whenever my brother, a lover of war history, watched it on TV, she'd tell him to switch it off. She never spoke about those days. Ever. The only sign of suffering was her smoking. It's something she started during the war so that you don't feel hunger. When my mother came across some of the clothes she wore during that time, not even my teenage self could fit into them.
War and its aftermath are no joke and Wendy Holden's research into it makes a lot of sense. The work is down to earth and balanced, as you'll notice by the time you've reached the end. Here you realize that although many soldiers in all likelihood need pensions as a result of PTSD, a lot of research should go into those who thrive in a war environment. Holden doesn't only cover what happened during the World Wars, but also the Gulf War and a few other (more modern) conflicts.
It makes for interesting reading.
It helped me to understand what my grandmother saw and how it affected her.
War and its aftermath are no joke and Wendy Holden's research into it makes a lot of sense. The work is down to earth and balanced, as you'll notice by the time you've reached the end. Here you realize that although many soldiers in all likelihood need pensions as a result of PTSD, a lot of research should go into those who thrive in a war environment. Holden doesn't only cover what happened during the World Wars, but also the Gulf War and a few other (more modern) conflicts.
It makes for interesting reading.
It helped me to understand what my grandmother saw and how it affected her.
January 26, 2019
3.5... This book provides a historical basis for how war trauma was dealt with across the varying wars. I am not a fan of the author's writing style. However, if you're in the mental health field, this provides a historical look into how the armed services perceive, identify, and treat various forms of war trauma, which we now refer to as PTSD.
August 18, 2018
Awesome book
I liked that it covered so many aspects & angles of views of the condition over time. Would recommend to anyone interested in medical, service conditions, history, mental conditions & health.
I liked that it covered so many aspects & angles of views of the condition over time. Would recommend to anyone interested in medical, service conditions, history, mental conditions & health.
August 19, 2022
An excellent book about a harrowing subject. Sensitivity told.
September 24, 2007
Dry but insightful resource for understanding the effects of conflict on the individuals involved in armed conflict.
January 7, 2016
good overview of shellshock and PTSD in the British armed services during the two World Wars.
May 1, 2012
Excellent book, very interesting read.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews