How we are changed by war : a study of letters and diaries from colonial conflicts to Operation Iraqi Freedom / D.C. Gill.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. The metes and bounds of narrative and self -- 2. An opportunity for change : war and ambition -- 3. Conversion -- 4. A growing estrangement -- 5. The complexity of spectatorship -- 6. Eye of the storm -- 7. A continuing aftermath.

"How We Are Changed by War examines the changes to Americans during wartime through the medium of their diaries and correspondence, beginning with the colonial period of the early seventeenth century, and ending with diaries and letters from Iraq War veterans. The book clearly discusses and describes the universal themes of war such as reintegration to society and the horrors of war through private writings regardless of the narrator's historical era. This allows the writers to "speak" to each other across time to reveal a profound commonality of cultural experience." "How We Are Changed by War is a fascinating look at the writings of individuals who served their military in different eras, and a great example of how history is shaped by both memory and experience."--BOOK JACKET.