In the following excerpt, Shor explores how the myths of patriotism and masculinity led thousands of Cold-War era young men, including Kovic, into the Vietnam War and how they managed to break free of those myths through antiwar activitism.

Born on the Fourth of July was released in an abridged audio version on cassette. It was published by Caedmon and is narrated by Ron Kovic. It is available from Audiobooks.com.

The film adaptation of Born on the Fourth of July (1989), was directed by Oliver Stone, and the screenplay was co-written by Kovic. Tom Cruise plays Kovic, and the film garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards, including two Academy Awards and four Golden Globes. The movie is available on VHS and DVD from Universal Studios Home Video.

"Myths," contends cultural historian Richard Slotkin, "are stories drawn from a society's history that have acquired through persistent usage the...