Johnny Got His Gun

“Johnny Got His Gun” holds a place as one of the classic antiwar novels. First published in 1939, Dalton Trumbo’s story of a young American soldier terribly maimed in World War I– he “survives” armless, legless, and faceless, but with mind intact– was an immediate bestseller. This fiercely moving novel was a rallying point for many Americans who came of age during World War II, and it became perhaps the most popular novel of protest during the Vietnam era.

Citadel Underground’s edition of “Johnny Got His Gun” features a powerful new introduction by Ron Kovic, author of “Born on the Fourth of July”, and also includes an introduction by Dalton Trumbo.

“”Johnny Got His Gun” still remains the most powerful piece of writing to influence me after Vietnam. Upon my return from the war, and after all these twenty-two years spent in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the mid-chest down, I’ve read many writers that have influenced my life profoundly– Hemingway, Conrad, Tolstoy, Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King– but there has been nothing out of that body of great literature to compare to this book… “Johnny Got His Gun” remains the most revolutionary, searing document against was and injustice ever written.” –Ron Kovic, from his introduction

“{This} is a terrifying book, of an extraordinary emotional intensity.” –The Washington Post

“”Johnny Got His Gun” is not merely a powerful antiwar document; it is also a powerful and brilliant work of the imagination… Mr. Trumbo has written a book that can never be forgotten by anyone who reads it.” –Saturday Review

“A terrible story, remorseless, uncompromising… this book was a shocking and violent experience.” –Herald Tribune

“There can be no question of the effectiveness of this book.” –The New York Times