Summary of the Novel His best friend, Frank Beckwith, feels betrayed because Billy had promised to join the Marines with him on the buddy plan. Frank marches off to war in a grand parade amid much fanfare and political, patriotic bombast. But he's returned in four months. He's judged to be severely deranged because he tells true stories of American losses in the war, and the people of Cannon refuse to believe him. Only Billy believes his stories. Billy's struggle to save Frank and the children of Cannon leads inexorably to disaster.
The Dead Are Dancing is a satire of the cold war but its message is timeless. It cautions us to watch out: unbridled patriotism leads to the self destruction of our cities and our sons and daughters.