The Anatomy of Courage: The Classic WWI Study of the Psychological Effects of War (Paperback)

~ Lord Moran (Author) "At Armentieres, one day in 1914, when the First Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers was in billets, Wickham who commanded 'D' Company told me that..." (more)
Key Phrases: trench raid, how courage, Air Force, Barty Price, General Wavell (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'I set out to find how courage is born and how it is sustained in a modern army of a free people. The soldier is alone in his war with terror and we have to recognise the first signs of the dafeat, that we may come in time to his rescue.' Lord Moran * 'A remarkably human book... arresting, and sometimes even unforgettable.' Desmond McCarthy, Sunday Times * 'A fascinating book... It is not easy to do justice to Lord Moran's discursive brilliancy... a masterly piece of work.' Times Literary Supplement" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Fear, and man's attempt to master it, is of eternal interest and just as significant today as when Moran, as a young medical officer, went to the trenches in 1914 to research the subject scientifically. He asked why a man can appear to be as brave as a lion one day and break the next and, crucially, "what can be done to delay or prevent the using up of courage?" First published in 1945, this early groundbreaking account of the psychological effects of war, recounted by means of vivid first-hand observation and anecdote, came at a time when shell-shock was equated with lack of moral fiber. In 1940, Moran became Churchill's doctor and his position as a one of history's most important war physicians was secured. His humane, considered observations, scientific analysis and proposed solutions constitute one of the great First World War sources. However, they are perhaps just as relevant to our own conflict-ridden times.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; 1st Carroll & Graf Ed edition (January 16, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786718994
• ISBN-13: 978-0786718993
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #485,073 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent effort on a difficult topic, December 17, 2005

By	Charlie C. Peterson (Summerville, SC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Anatomy of Courage (Art of Command Series) (Paperback)

The Anatomy of Courage strives to dissect the problem of courage and give the commander a tool to enhance it in battle, to increase it in training, or to find it in recruiting. He discusses the mystery of why one person can fight in the trenches (In WWI) for days or weeks and then one day, simply break. He searches for methods to discover than breaking point and extend it - to maximize the use of that precious commodity. He fails. Instead, he seems to say that the only really beneficial thing the commander can do is recognize the man that has courage and recruit him for service. Promote him when he demonstrates it and hope for the best from the rest of his troops. It is not a happy discovery for the author but he doesn't do well discovering a solution to the problem. It is not for lack of effort and his thoroughness makes the prospects for another would be problem solver seem just as bleak.
It is a wonderful journey and a great exploration of the topic. If there isn't a solution to the problem of maximizing courage then the commander can see how important recruiting is and spend his resources there instead. The US marine recruiting goal of looking for "a few good men" seems to be on the mark. Well worth the read.