This is by far the most captivating and knowledgeable piece of nonfiction written on the experience of veterns returning to their homeland after the war.

The editors, one a sociologist and the other a social psychologist, assemble the most important contributors to the social sciences. This includes a Forward by celebrated Harvard historian, Frank Freidel. Several chapters were frequently referenced in presentations before the US Supreme Court (e.g, Chapters 17 (VA benefits review) and 18 (veterans' preference). The section introductions are in-your-face narrative inroducing the upcoming chapters. The book includes two interesting reprinted chapters first written during or immediately following WW II that are as applicable today as they were 50 years ago.

This book should be a wake-up call to policy makers who believe that war is a useful instrument in forign policy. Although an edited work, it won the Waterman Award for best non-fiction in 1980.

Although it was published many years ago. It is among the hand full of classic works from the social sciences that focus on this very unfortunate war.

TCC