Draws on reports from the front lines, case histories, personal letters, and war pensions files to trace the lives and fortunes of a large cast of ex-servicemen who suffered mental breakdowns. This book describes their confinements to asylums, the reactions of families to their relatives' plight, the turmoil when they returned home, and more.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 422-430) and index.

The war mental hospital -- The new lunacy protest -- "D Ward (imbecile)" -- The Napsbury cast -- "Greetings from Napsbury" -- Albert goes to war again -- Justice for the war psychotic -- "Insane through fighting for their country" -- Justice for the citizen soldier -- Albert gets a war psychosis pension -- "Revolting" psychology -- How the weak progress -- Psychosis and life -- Homecomings -- Family fortunes -- Officialdom and the pensioner -- "A very public madness" -- Demobbed to the asylum -- A disappointed homecoming -- Hard times -- "Any man in any street" -- Lunatic officers -- "Hardening" -- The service patients between the wars -- Connie and Alex -- Mad activists of the Great War -- Independent lives -- War psychosis pentathlons -- Caring : families and doctors -- Futures -- The Captain's valedictory letter -- Remembering the forgotten lunatics.