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Title: Excellent Historical Overview
Review: Micale's and Lerner's anthology of essays on the historical development of the concept of trauma in the modern age is a superb addition to the literature. Beginning with the editors' introduction and throughout all of the individual pieces in the book, the authors display a command of the field and a depth of knowledge about trauma in history that is hard to find anywhere else. The essays are exceptionally well written, and cover an interesting array of subjects, from more traditional histories of "shell shock" as a precursor to traumatic psychological injury to the less frequently examined historical origins of the concept of sexual trauma. Despite the expense of the volume, it is well worth adding to the shelf for anyone (academics, professionals, and lay reader alike) interested in understanding the historical underpinnings of the burgeoning field of trauma studies.
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