Overview

A highly original comprehensive history of US military medicine.Decisions to go to war are often framed in cost-benefit terms, and typically such assessments do not factor in longer term costs. However, recent dramatic improvements in American military medicine have had an unanticipated effect: saving more soldiers' lives has vastly increased long-term, downstream costs of war with profound consequences for global politics in an era of heightened great power competition. In Military Medicine and the Hidden Costs of War, Tanisha M. Fazal traces the modern history of medical treatment and casualty rates in American conflicts from the Civil War to the more recent counterinsurgency wars. As she shows, wars became increasingly survivable for wounded troops, to the point now where a large majority of wounded soldiers survive. Yet the human and financial implications of this steep increase in the wounded-to-killed ratio are dramatic, and her powerful analysis of this shift provides a necessary corrective to how we understand the costs of war. For each major conflict, Fazal analyzes the weapons used, injuries sustained, and policies put in place for veterans' care and pensions. As she argues, these improvements have significant financial and deeply personal implications for the returned wounded and their families, as well as the US government and its citizenry. Fazal's analysis highlights the significance of policymakers underestimating the costs of war, which in turn makes it easier both to initiate and continue military action abroad, contributing to Americas' penchant for engaging in so-called ""endless wars."" A sweeping political history, Military Medicine and the Hidden Costs of War will fundamentally change our understanding of the lasting consequences of America's wars.

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9780190057473

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Reviews

This book is an exposé on the biggest long-term cost of wars * healing the service members who return home with visible and invisible scars. The need for medical care and rehabilitation, for medical staff and family caregivers-is often hidden while we go off to fight new wars. Tanisha Fazal lifts the lid on this story and helps us understand, with compassion, what it means to care for America's wounded and their families.Linda J. Bilmes, Daniel Patrick Moynihan Chair in Public Policy and Public Finance, Harvard Kennedy School, and coauthor of The Three Trillion Dollar War * At last, a definitive work that clearly and carefully accounts for survival and life beyond survival * for the full costs of war, now and in the future.Emily Mayhew, Historian in Residence, Imperial College London, and author of Wounded * Fazal has conducted an impressive amount of research on the topic of military medicine and masterfully woven together evidence, arguments, and stories into a remarkably engaging read. It will be a must-read not just for military buffs, historians, and political scientists but also wider audiences who will find the book both accessible and immensely edifying. * Sarah E. Kreps, John L. Wetherill Professor, Cornell University, and author of Taxing Wars * Americans underestimate the costs of war because they fail to grasp the human and financial impact of war injuries, Tanisha Fazal argues. Drawing upon extensive research on wounded soldiers and their medical treatment since the Civil War, Military Medicine and the Hidden Costs of War powerfully illuminates this crucial issue. A significant contribution to our understanding of the impact of war on American society. * Mary L. Dudziak, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law, Emory University, and author of War Time * The book is very clear and well written. * Steven Ramold, Choice * The book is very clear and well written. * Choice *

This book is an exposé on the biggest long-term cost of wars * healing the service members who return home with visible and invisible scars. The need for medical care and rehabilitation, for medical staff and family caregivers-is often hidden while we go off to fight new wars. Tanisha Fazal lifts the lid on this story and helps us understand, with compassion, what it means to care for America's wounded and their families.Linda J. Bilmes, Daniel Patrick Moynihan Chair in Public Policy and Public Finance, Harvard Kennedy School, and coauthor of The Three Trillion Dollar War * At last, a definitive work that clearly and carefully accounts for survival and life beyond survival * for the full costs of war, now and in the future.Emily Mayhew, Historian in Residence, Imperial College London, and author of Wounded * Fazal has conducted an impressive amount of research on the topic of military medicine and masterfully woven together evidence, arguments, and stories into a remarkably engaging read. It will be a must-read not just for military buffs, historians, and political scientists but also wider audiences who will find the book both accessible and immensely edifying. * Sarah E. Kreps, John L. Wetherill Professor, Cornell University, and author of Taxing Wars * Americans underestimate the costs of war because they fail to grasp the human and financial impact of war injuries, Tanisha Fazal argues. Drawing upon extensive research on wounded soldiers and their medical treatment since the Civil War, Military Medicine and the Hidden Costs of War powerfully illuminates this crucial issue. A significant contribution to our understanding of the impact of war on American society. * Mary L. Dudziak, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law, Emory University, and author of War Time *

Author Information

Tanisha M. Fazal is Professor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota. Her scholarship focuses on sovereignty, international law, and armed conflict. She is the author of two award-winning books, Wars of Law: Unintended Consequences in the Regulation of Armed Conflict and State Death: The Politics and Geography of Conquest, Occupation, and Annexation and numerous articles in academic and policy journals. She is also a frequent commentator on international security issues. From 2021-2023, she was an Andrew Carnegie Fellow.

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