Major Hugh Dégaré never thought working a desk job could be worse than combat. But shortly after starting a new position in a bureaucratic military headquarters far from the front lines, he finds himself fighting to maintain his grip on reality. Amid sleepless nights and intense memories from his combat service, he does what he’s always done—takes action.

Afraid of being stigmatized by his chain of command, he turns to a psychologist and an estranged friend, Daryl, now an ex-soldier. Despite his best efforts, Hugh’s rage continues to grow. When his support network starts to fall apart with no end to his symptoms in sight, Hugh finally turns to a questionable military medical system, desperate to do anything to save his career, marriage, and life itself. His last hope is that the system supposedly designed to help him doesn’t put the final nail into his coffin instead.

Alastair Luft is a lieutenant colonel in the Canadian Army with twenty years of service in the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. Luft graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada with a BA in politics and economics. He lives in Ottawa with his wife and two daughters, and except for his multiple tours of duty around the world, he has spent the greater part of his life in eastern Ontario. The Battle Within is his first novel.

Alastair Luft's profile page

"Crushingly intimate, a remarkably accurate and poignant dissection of PTSD." —Kirkus Reviews

"The Battle Within removes the stigma that often plagues mental challenges such as PTSD, instead displaying the courage and strength that is needed to overcome it." — Ottawa Life Magazine

"Although this novel is a work of fiction, it shines a searing light on the real-life challenges and sometimes tragic consequences of PTSD." —General (Ret'd) Raymond R. Henault, Former Chief of the Defence Staff, Canadian Forces

"Alastair Luft has made a major contribution to our knowledge of PTSD by putting a personal face on ‘the battle within,’ which will serve both soldier and citizen alike." —Lieutenant-General (Ret’d) Michael K. Jeffery, Former Chief of the Land Staff, Canadian Forces

"Anyone who wishes to understand, no matter what their background, the silent curse of PTSD would benefit from reading this compelling story." —Major-General (Ret'd) Lewis MacKenzie, Canadian Forces