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Hysterical Men: War, Psychiatry, and the Politics of Trauma in Germany, 1890–1930 By Lerner Paul. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. 2003. 326 pp. £23.95 (hb). ISBN 08014 4094 7
Psychiatrists, more than most people, like to flirt with history, and nowhere is this more true than in the field of psychological trauma, where it has become de rigueur to introduce a chapter or book with an historical overview. More often than not these superficial, oversimplified accounts do little more than attempt to convince the reader that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as described in ICD-10 has existed since time immemorial. Recent conflict, global terrorism and renewed enthusiasm for the poetry of the First World War as well as the novels of authors such as Pat Barker and Sebastian Faulks have reawakened interest in war-related psychological trauma, leading to a more thoughtful critical analysis of the psychiatric morbidity arising from the major wars of the 20th century. This historical reappraisal suggests an altogether more...