Black Cross Historical Fiction Paperback Book by Greg Iles Signet Books 1995
(The World War II Trilogy #2)

Such is the ultimate significance of war in The Thin Red Line (1962), James Jones's fictional account of the battle between American and Japanese troops on the island of Guadalcanal. 

The narrative shifts effortlessly among multiple viewpoints within C-for-Charlie Company, from commanding officer Capt. James Stein, his psychotic first sergeant Eddie Welsh, and the young privates they send into battle. 

The descriptions of combat conditions—and the mental states it induces—are unflinchingly realistic, including the dialog (in which a certain word Norman Mailer rendered as "fug" 15 years earlier in The Naked and the Dead appears properly spelled on numerous occasions). 

This is more than a classic of combat fiction; it is one of the most significant explorations of male identity in American literature, establishing Jones as a novelist of the caliber of Herman Melville and Stephen Crane.

Book is in acceptable condition. General shelf and corner wear. Cover fraying along the edges. Some white marks on front and back cover. Light staining on the interior and exterior. Spine has some issues (See photo #3). Tear on front cover flap about 5 inches next to spine. Cover creasing. And tear on bottom of front cover flap about 2 inches. Scrape on the back cover. A solid reading copy. Please see photos for details, and let me know if you have any questions.

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