The Thin Red Line

The World War II classic by the bestselling author of From Here to Eternity and Whistle, now a major motion picture from 20th Century Fox. They are the men of C-for-Charlie Company--''Mad'' 1st/Sgt. Eddie Welsh, S/Sgt. Don Doll, Pvt. John Bell, Capt. James Stein, Cpl. Fife, and dozens more just like them--infantrymen in ''this man's army'' who are about to land grim and white-faced on an atoll in the Pacific called Guadalcanal. This is their story, a shatteringly realistic walk into hell and back. In the days ahead some will earn medals; others will do anything they can dream up to get evacuated before they land in a muddy grave. But they will all discover the thin red line that divides the sane from the mad--and the living from the dead--in this unforgettable portrait that captures for all time the total experience of men at war. With ?shattering prose,? the New York Times?bestselling author of From Here to Eternity captures the intense combat in the battle of Guadalcanal (San Francisco Chronicle). ? In August of 1942 the first American marines charged Guadalcanal, igniting a six-month battle for two thousand square miles of jungle and sand. In that gruesome stretch sixty thousand Americans made the jump from boat to beach, and one in nine did not return. James Jones fought in that battle, and The Thin Red Line is his haunting portrait of men and war. ? The soldiers of C-for-Charlie Company are not cast from the heroic mold. The unit?s captain is too intelligent and sensitive for the job, his first sergeant is half mad, and the enlisted men begin the campaign gripped by cowardice. Jones?s moving portrayal of the Pacific combat experience stands among the great literature of World War II. ? This ebook features an illustrated biography of James Jones including rare photos from the author?s estate.