Preview
  • Achilles in Vietnam

  • Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character
  • By: Jonathan Shay MD
  • Narrated by: David Strathairn
  • Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (148 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Achilles in Vietnam

By: Jonathan Shay MD
Narrated by: David Strathairn
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $18.74

Buy for $18.74

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

An original and groundbreaking audiobook 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 strikingly original and groundbreaking audiobook, Dr. Shay examines the psychological devastation of war by comparing the soldiers of Homer’s Iliad with Vietnam veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Although the Iliad was written 27 centuries ago, it has much to teach about combat trauma, as do the more recent, compelling voices and experiences of Vietnam vets.

©1994, 2010 Jonathan Shay, MD (P)2018 Simon & Schuster
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about Achilles in Vietnam

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    123
  • 4 Stars
    21
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    115
  • 4 Stars
    13
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    108
  • 4 Stars
    20
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Must read for any veteran. Yeah you

This book was one of the first ones that I ever left to review for. It’s amazing the messages powerful it resonates, and anyone that listens to this book will be able to take something away from it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This was an excellent read.

I can’t believe I never heard of this book. More folks in our military and mental health communities should learn from this!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

ANAZING

Enough said. This is a must and the reading is phenomenal. The ONLY reason it’s five stars is because I can’t give it more. AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great

This is a fantastic primer to PTSD and understanding how it affects people. the book shows its age, but i believe that the lessons in it are still just a valuable today, as when it was written.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Truly breathtaking

I loved David Straithairn’s performance. The contents are important to understanding that war is ugly and those who must endure it must be taken care of.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

"If you fail to feel the pain of others...

You do not deserve the name of man." ~Saadi Shirazi
This is the closest I've ever been able to get in trying to understand the agony my dad experienced during the war and upon coming home. Thank you for the emotional reading of the personal testimonies. He never broke down in front of me, he hid his pain behind a wall of indifference. This book is my ladder so I can climb it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very interesting

A good book. Not to minimize, but I think it has use for other traumatic situations. A must read for anyone with a soldier with P TSD in his family. Could have done without the author's gratuitous attack on Christianity based on a fundamental misunderstanding.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A phenomenal narration of a PTSD classic.

The great character actor, David Strathairn, performs the gravelly voices of combat veterans, including that of Achilles. Who knew that Homer could be so gripping and relevant?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

excellent

110 percent recommended. straight and to the point. this analysis is both fascinating and gripping. buy and listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Admirable book, admirably read

Empathetic and incisive. David Straithairn waived his fee for narrating the book, for reasons that are easily apparent.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful