The co-op bookstore for avid readers
Book Cover for: Our Veterans: Winners, Losers, Friends, and Enemies on the New Terrain of Veterans Affairs, Suzanne Gordon

Our Veterans: Winners, Losers, Friends, and Enemies on the New Terrain of Veterans Affairs

Suzanne Gordon

In Our Veterans, Suzanne Gordon, Steve Early, and Jasper Craven explore the physical, emotional, social, economic, and psychological impact of military service and the problems that veterans face when they return to civilian life. The authors critically examine the role of advocacy organizations, philanthropies, corporations, and politicians who purport to be "pro-veteran." They describe the ongoing debate about the cost, quality, and effectiveness of healthcare provided or outsourced by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). They also examine generational divisions and political tensions among veterans, as revealed in the tumultuous events of 2020, from Black Lives Matter protests to the Trump-Biden presidential contest. Frank and revealing, Our Veterans proposes a new agenda for veterans affairs linking service provision to veterans to the quest for broader social programs benefiting all Americans.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Duke University Press
  • Publish Date: Aug 5th, 2022
  • Pages: 352
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.90in - 6.00in - 0.80in - 0.65lb
  • EAN: 9781478018544
  • Categories: Health PolicyPublic Policy - Social Services & WelfareDisease & Health Issues

About the Author

Suzanne Gordon is Senior Policy Analyst at the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute and the author of many books, most recently, Wounds of War: How the VA Delivers Health, Healing, and Hope to the Nation's Veterans.

Steve Early is a freelance journalist, labor organizer, lawyer, and the author of, most recently, Refinery Town: Big Oil, Big Money, and the Remaking of an American City. His work has appeared in theNew York Times, the Washington Post, and theNation, among others.

Jasper Craven is a freelance journalist who covers the military and veterans. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Atlantic, theNew Republic, and theBaffler, among others.

Praise for this book

"This little book is jam-packed with information that is not only fascinating, it promises to be incredibly helpful to any vet who will take the time to read it. . . Every veteran involved with the VA will find that Our Veterans is a reference book they can access as an unprecedented toolbox full of information that will come in handy in every confrontation with the Department of Veterans Affairs."--John Ketwig "The Veteran" (4/27/2022 12:00:00 AM)
"This chilling account explores the physical, economic and psychological consequences of military service on veteran health and takes a critical look at the many players involved in shaping veteran life in the United States."-- "New York Times" (7/22/2022 12:00:00 AM)
"The civilian community is largely unaware of the harm to all caused by the specialized problems facing our current veterans, and the growing drive to privatize the VA. Nor is it aware of the rising movement against this trend. Anyone having concerns about these issues will find Our Veterans to be an essential source of information. It provides a thorough, well-written analysis of the situation, and the direction we need to take in response."--Ronald Citkowski "Against the Current" (9/1/2022 12:00:00 AM)
"The strength of this book is its honesty about the whole field of military service and its effects on those who survive it; as well as, those who don't. The authors demonstrate through this, and previous activities, their concerns for the well-being of those who have served. Their writing is straight-forward, clear, and honest."--Kim Scipes "Stansbury Forum" (10/17/2022 12:00:00 AM)
"As Suzanne Gordon, Steve Early and Jasper Craven make clear in their new book, Our Veterans, thinking about veterans as a monolithic group with the same experiences, same outlook and same needs is wrong. The extensively researched and sourced Our Veterans sets out to explain why."--Janis Hashe "East Bay Express" (11/9/2022 12:00:00 AM)
"The authors of Our Veterans have taken a deep dive into a large and little understood corner of the social safety net. Their detailed depiction of how the forces of neoliberalization interact with the unique history, culture, and politics of this sector is an important contribution to our understanding of how working people are affected by these forces in all aspects of their lives."--Mark Dudzic "New Labor Forum" (6/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)
"The authors bring extensive research, a strong progressive analysis, and powerful advocacy to this expansive review of veterans' issues. . . . Our Veterans illustrates the dangerous impact of the U.S.'s massive military on many service members. It also shines a light on the many ways in which corporate greed and privatization are encroaching on our public resources, including the resources to robustly support our veterans when they come home."-- "New Politics" (9/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"An important addition to the literature about American veterans in the forever-war era. ... I recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the complicated and interconnected world of veteran policies, politics, and processes, then work to make them better."

--Jim Craig "Journal of Military History" (10/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)