The status of ‘Gulf War syndrome’ has been the focus of a vigorous and sometimes bitter debate. Groups of veterans suffering from medically unexplained symptoms have argued that their enduring ill heath is the result of exposure to toxins while serving in the Gulf. Whether it be side-effects of vaccinations, organophosphates, fumes from oil-well fires or depleted uranium, they believe that their immune systems have been compromised leaving them vulnerable to known diseases. However, their campaign has attracted little support from scientists and doctors who have been unable to identify a unique disorder or a specific pathological mechanism associated with the Gulf War. Because much of this research was funded by government, negative findings have fuelled conspiracy theories and claims of a cover-up. The picture is further complicated because the public in the UK and the USA is generally sympathetic to the veterans' plight and shares their belief in the existence of a definable syndrome.
Seventeen years have passed since Gulf War syndrome was first proposed, sufficient time to allow an objective view of these events. Susie Kilshaw, a social anthropologist, has observed and interviewed veterans at meetings, in their homes and when they attended clinics for investigation. This original research has given her a particular insight into the culture of Gulf War syndrome. She concludes that beliefs about ill health are related to narratives about the permeability of bodily boundaries, lost masculinity and ambivalence towards military culture. Medical dialogues, therefore, are rarely solely about medical matters but serve as a proxy for feelings about the self and the way that an individual relates to others. Indeed, the inclusion of transcripts of interviews and discussions is of particular value.
My only criticism of this book is that some of the arguments are repeated across chapters. Careful editing could have made the text more concise. Nevertheless, Dr Kilshaw has written a brave book that challenges popular assumptions about Gulf War syndrome; her analysis of the long-term effects of military service will serve as an important record not only for those with an interest in the armed forces, but also for researchers in the field of illness perception.
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