Shell Shock: The Diary of Tommy Atkins Paperback – 1 Oct. 2011

Excellent read, about an almost taboo subject to talk about, now called PTSD.

There's a lot of extremely bad language but it is all in the context of a squaddie who has seen things that no young person should have to witness but sadly so many of them do. It's the result of the brash youth merging with the frightened boy.; it's the result of going straight from school to the military without experiencing "normal" civvy life first. Hence it is so much more difficult to adjust to the civilian setting on discharge. This book is food for thought.

My husband & I enjoyed reading this book which highlighted the problem of combat stress which the armed forces & the government would rather have swept under the carpet. Well done Neil & Good Luck in the future.

Go get it and read it.It will give you an overview of what it's like to get out of the army, injured mentally.Great read, a bit of a crude one but still, it's worth it ! :)

This book has been read by nearly all our family members. A brilliant read makes you laugh and cry full of emotion one word BRILLIANT.

My husband served in the British Army so that's why I got this. I have to say Bravo Mr.Blower. I have not read a book either in print or ebook this good for a long time.I laughed and laughed. Then I cried and cried. What a touching, heartbreaking and funny story. To call this book a roller coaster of emotion would be a vast understatement.When I finished it I told my husband to read it, he did and he loved it.I didn't realise just what our boys go through, not just at war but when they get back home also. My respect and admiration for our armed forces has shot up a thousand fold.I cannot wait to get the print version. I hope it comes out soon.Thank you Mr. Blower and thank you Tommy Atkins!!!!

What a well written book,Due to dealing with ex forces that come into the criminal justice system and being ex forces myself this is a big eye opener and one that will be brought up at my next meeting. Thank you Mr Blower evidence that soldiers arent just knucle dragging idiots we are humans at the end of the day and ones that have been so badly let down by our country

Very little reaches the public domain about how soldiers cope with the psychological trauma of what they have seen on active service - most news stories focus on the rehabilitation of those who have suffered physical injuries. `Shell shock' seeks to redress the balance by presenting the experience of one soldier who has recently returned to `Civvy Street' and is suffering from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).Taking a `dear diary' approach, the book chronicles his angry outbursts, depression and insomnia, and his struggles to return back to a `normal' life. Part of the problem seems to be his unwillingness to admit anything he is not coping, blaming everyone else for everything that goes wrong. However it would have been interesting for the book to delve deeper into PTSD and explain the symptoms and treatment.The diary format is an effective way of showing the anger Tommy Atkins feels, however I think that if the book had been written as a novel this would have been more effective and allowed for further character development to help explain how his family and friends struggle to cope with Tommy's mood swings and understand what he is going through.PTSD is certainly a misunderstood condition and in the main goes unreported; this book highlights the lack of support and understanding that ex-soldiers receive, so if it can help to raise the profile of charities such as Combat Stress then that can only be a good thing.