Madness, Malingering, And Malfeasance The Transformation Of Psychiatry And The Law In The Ci... Book

Lande's book offers an excellent overview of the intersection of mental health and military law during the American Civil War. He covers how the medical-legal institutions set up by the military did (or did not) account for depression, "nostalgia" (think of it a bit like PTSD), insanity, and malingering. The book includes accounts of several important court martial trials as well as the medical records produced at the Government Hospital for the Insane. The book does not often move into the level of meaning, instead Lande remains focused on the medical and legal apparatus mobilized to deal with troubled soldiers. I would have liked to see a more broad social analysis but that's a minor quibble (and not something Lande claimed to do).

The book is approachable and easy to read. The index is a bit thin but the bibliography and endnotes will prove helpful to researchers.