Customer Reviews (9)

A Book About Post-War America
Although Whistle takes place in 1943, it is really about post-war America and the effect it had on the psyche of American males. We have met all of the four main characters (with different names, but the author identifies them in a foreword)in earlier volumes of James Jones great trilogy: From Here to Eternity and The Thin Red Line. Now they are in a hospital in Tennessee.

They all come to bad ends, but it isn't really the war that destroys them. It is the peace and their inability to live with the changes wrought by the war. One can't cope with his inability to protect his men, one rebels when he is forced to become a public relations flack in order to stay in the army, one rejects the honor and traditions of the military ethos only to regret it and the other one is appalled by the nihilism which he sees as the wave of the future.

Jones fought a battle to complete this book before he died. He didn't quite succeed - a few chapters toward the end are sketched out in summary form - but this is a complete and important work by one of the greatest American writers of the Twentieth Century and a very worthy finale to a trilogy comprised of masterpieces.

If you read From Here to Eternity and The Red Line...
you might enjoy this Third volume of Mr. Jones opii[sp?]. If you aren't a fan then this is the one to skip.
pete saussy

Not his best, but good enough
No author captures the mind and plight of the ordinary soldier better than James Jones, and "Whistle" is the third book of a trilogy that includes the indomitable "From Here to Eternity" and the gritty "The Thin Red Line."

From Here to Eternity portrays barracks life in Hawaii just before the attack at Pearl Harbor; The Thin Red Line is a wrenching account of island fighting in the South Pacific; and Whistle is the story of four men from the same infantry company, all wounded in battle, who are brought back to the U.S. on a hospital ship and then sent to an Army hospital in the South.

The book does a fine job of portraying the complex relationships between the four men and the inner demons each has to face. First Sergeant Martin Winch is a cynical, but superb leader who struggles with congestive heart failure while trying his best to protect the other three men. Mess Sgt. Johnny Strange is the nurturer who looks after the others while he struggles with the infidelity of his wife, and the injustices of the Army pecking order. Buck Sergeant Marion Landers tries but fails to handle the monstrous fury that wells up inside him. Corporal Bobby Prell fights to save his legs from amputation and copes with feelings of guilt over a Congressional Medal of Honor that he does not believe he deserves.

This was Jones’ final book, and he was unable to finish the final three chapters before he died of congestive heart failure (his death is portrayed in the movie "A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries" based on the book written by his daughter, Kaylie.)

Unfortunately, the last book of the trilogy doesn’t measure up to the first two, and it pains me to write this because I am one of Jones’ major fans. The story, the writing, Jones’ unique ability to get into the head of the GI just aren’t as sharp in this work.

There is also the matter of his preoccupation about a man performing oral ... on a woman– he goes on and on and on about it throughout the book. The ... is graphic, even by today’s standards. All well and good, but the preoccupation with oral ... stretched and exceeded the limits of its role in the story line. It’s like Jones’ had a statement to make, and he made it too often; and he made it too important for credibility.

And then there is the end of the book, which should have been handled differently. Jones was unable to complete the final three and one half chapters, but he let his intentions for the finale be known in detail. A friend and neighbor, Willie Morris, wrote the last chapters from notes and recordings. They are not written as fiction, but as a summary of what the author intended to happen. The novel would have been much better had a skilled writer done the end as a continuing fictional narrative, imitating Jones’ style. (Of course, there would need to be an appropriate explanation of how it was handled at the beginning of the book.)

Whistle is not James Jones best work. But it’s still a fine story by one of America’s most underrated authors.

Whistle
"Whistle" is one of the best books I have read. WWII is my favorite story genre. James Jones has never been disappointing in showing the reality of the soldiers' character.There were parts of the story where I audibly gasped at what had taken place.Although some of the language was Army technical and foreign to me, it was an easy read. The sexual encounters and explicit descriptions of them, was not offensive,but enlightening. It was very real and a breath of fresh air compared to the sugar coated versions of what happened during the war in other stories and films of the same time period. Themain characters, Winch, Landers, Strange and Prell are so different from the stereo-type "war hero" It is a story of WWII which reveals the horror but does not dwell on it with blood, violence & gore and shows it from so many different perspectives.

A sober and telling end of a classic series
After having read FROM HERE TO ETERNITY and THE THIN RED LINE, I couldn't figure out what would be so interesting about an army war hospital(the setting for WHISTLE).I was dead wrong proving once again that a greatwriter makes anything interesting.

The guys are back from Gradualcanaland suffering both physical and psychological effects.They are happy tobe alive and ashamed they didn't die along side their buddies.It's hardto believe that so many people they meet know nothing about the war beingfought out there.They believe in the other men from their old company,but little else.

It could be argued that it is the weakest of thetrilogy.Jones hurried to write the book before his early death at age 55. It was published more than 20 years after the war's end and sufferssomewhat from the knowledge of those 20 years. The references to the songsseem more nostalgic than informative.His analysis of the sexes would havebeen brilliant in 1946, but easily made in the 1970s.But those are minorpoints, because the book is every bit as honest as gritty as anything thathe ever wrote.Good enough that you don't want it to end, but harsh enoughthat you're afraid to read it a second time. ... Read more

Book Description
With a voice as rich as it is recognized, James Earl Jones brings the King James Version of the New Testament alive with his narrative talents. Oscar®-nominated, Emmy- and Tony Award-winning actor James Earl Jones has earned a worldwide reputation as one of the world's most versatile actors and voiceover artists. In over 19 hours on 14 digitally re-mastered compact discs, James Earl Jones Reads the Bible interprets the most enduring book of our time utilizing the acclaimed actor's superb storytelling and skilled characterizations. James Earl Jones, who includes in his credits The Lion King, Patriot Games and Star Wars, has provided what is hailed as the greatest spoken-word Bible version ever. With over 400,000 copies sold, this exquisite audio treasure is certain to entertain and inspire.

Complete New Testament (King James Version)
- Digitally Re-mastered
- Bonus! 12 classic hymns recorded by the Nashville Faith - Choir and Friends
- International Bestseller with over 400,000 units sold!

Bonus
Old Time Gospel Hymns sung by the acclaimed Nashville Faith Choir and Friends is a collection of 12 classic hymns including Victory In Jesus, The Old Rugged Cross, and the ever popular Amazing Grace. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

New Testament by James Earl Jones
What a marvelous narrator!I wish I would have read the other reviews prior to purchase as I too was under the impression that this was the entire Bible, not just the NEW TESTAMENT.I would highly consider letting buyers know that even though it says Deluxe, it is referring to the lovely box it comes in.This is very deceptive.Now I have to spend another $41 to get the entire Bible.Please correct this if you value your feedback.

Great voice, great narration, but.....
Mr. Jones has just the right touch, and tone for this beautiful project.I have but one problem with this production.Where is the Old Testament?Otherwise I would have given this production 5 stars.

Awesome reading by James Earl Jones
Great for companionship while driving or otherwise, Gives you the word and read by a master.My only issue was I wasn't aware it did not include the Old Testament and there was no indication of this prior to purchase. ... Read more

Book Description
As this book explores the upbringing of James Earl Jones so does it discover his beginnings as an actor. As Jones delves deeply into his memory, so we venture deep into the rural south of his origins and early life, deep into his turbulent family history, and deep into the roles he's played both on the stage and on screens large and small. In the new epilogue that concludes this edition, Jones -now in his seventies- remembers the personal and professional events of the decade since the book's original publication. ... Read more

Book Description
Fascinating work, part of a three volume set which was first published in 1830. Includes detailed illustrations. ... Read more

Book Description
Fascinating work, part of a three volume set which was first published in 1830. Includes detailed illustrations. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Running.......away
I'm a big James Jones fan, especially of The Thin Red Line and From Here to Eternity. If you want to read Jones, and you're into combat, military or that WWII genre, you must read those two books.

"Running" is not like those books at all. Set in small town America after the war, it's an indictment of post WWII society: EVERY CHARACTER in this book is either an alcoholic, immoral, indecent, or in some way, a loser. Here's some examples: Dave, the main character, a combat veteran and a wannabe writer, turns into a fat slob who runs around with "whores" (his words, not mine) and eventually marries a "slut" who he has routinely termed a "fat pig." His brother, Frank, a successful business man, has several girlfriends on the side and at the end of the book, after being forced to give up his mistresses by his neurotic wife, gets off on walking around at night looking into windows in the hope of seeing someone naked. One of Dave's (unrequited) love interests (Gwen), an English professor at a local college is widely regarded as some type of sexually experienced woman of the world. However, in fact, she's still a virgin. On and on and on. About the most endearing character isfifth of whiskey a day gambler, "'bama" who keeps his wife and kids on a farm down south while he is "up north" gambling and "whorin'" around. Wow. Jones must have been REALLY going through something when he wrote this one. By the way, it was made into a movie with Sinatra, Dean Martin, Shirley MacLaine - the Rat Pack crew - and the screenplay was highly modified. I first read this book in '72 and now 35 years later I'm rereading it. Now I know why I waited 35 years to read it again! It is BRUTAL. I'm one of those "every book is worth reading once" people who believes that sometimes you have to read crap to appreciate good, but frankly, I would say avoid this one.

Running With the Big Boys
Take a little Lewis, add Farrell, Faulkner and Dreiser.Mix all that up and you might come close.Jones creates characters that stand up and talk back. They cast long shadows.Jones creates a real town out of paper, ink and imagination.This town is in the Midwest, but it could be anywhere.His people have problems like you have problems. At times they work it all out.At times they don't.This is life lived.This is great literature.This is James Jones best work.And they don't come much better than James Jones.

A Brilliant Slice of Americana
What happens to the Band of Brothers when they return home?

Jones explores life in a small midwestern town when soldiers returned home from WWII. Unforgettable characters. An indictment of the hypocrisy of Main Street USA.

One of the last Great American Novels.

A Classic
They don't write 'em like this anymore.

Good...as always, you can see Jones in his characters
I was quite surprised to see that this book was un-reviewed.Jones' lead character in some ways must be him...young man returning to his Illinois small-town home from the war.

It certainly appears to me that hiswriter's colony patron is here in some part.

His anger at the less thanwholesome undercurrents in his home town come through strongly.

Thecharacters are quite vivid, especially 'Bama.and the dialogue is good.

I vote this one in Jones' upper tier, but definitely below his best. ... Read more

Book Description
Fascinating work, part of a three volume set which was first published in 1830. Includes detailed illustrations. ... Read more

Book Description
The vocal talents of two of the world's most gifted artists combine in service to the most popular book of all time, resulting in the Complete Audio Holy Bible on compact disc. Exalt in the Word, as every syllable of the King James Old and New Testaments are brought to life, providing hours of inspirational listening.

- Jon Sherberg reads the entire Old Testament (KJV).Having worked with everyone from gospel singer Scott Wesley Brown to Oscar® winner Sir Ben Kingsley, Jon Sherberg brings his rich theatrical background to the forefront, with this masterful recitation of all 39 of the books of the Old Testament.
- Oscar®-nominated, Emmy- and Tony Award-winning actor James Earl Jones lends his celebrated vocal talents to this distinctive reading of the complete, unabridged text of the New Testament. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Wonderful Set
I love this 60 CD set.Finally an understanding of the bible stories.Much easier to listen to than to read and the nerrators voices are great.You won't go wrong with this wonderful set.

Just what I wanted
I've considered getting an audio bible for a few years.I really like my choice as I greatly admire James Earl Jones/voice (why I initially purchased this one) and I am enjoying Jon Sherberg now also.This is perfect, I just wanted a plainly read bible without too much drama.Sherberg reads with just a touch more vocal drama, but I really like this set and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an audio bible.I listen while I work and it's a great way to hear the scripture between actually reading the bible.And you don't have to struggle or guess the name pronunciations...Jones and Sherberg do it very smoothly!They are both VERY good. I have many versions of the bible at home, but the King James is a favorite.Thank you so much.

God is greatand his word is forever
hey love God's word this is for you as a person who is busy and no time to read...love it

A well done naration.
I purchased this set with idea of having the narration play while I simultaneously read the same text, hoping that this would enhance comprehension. This approach works very well. This version corrects some minor omissions that apparently existed in previous versions, and eliminates background music that was also present. So far I find that the narration tracks perfectly with my copy of the King James Version of the Bible. While I like listening to James Earl read the New Testament, the quality of the Old Testament is equally good. The only negative I have is that the binder included with the set is rather cheaply made. Once I had loaded all the CDs in it, it burst the zipper. I solved this problem by purchasing a higher quality storage case. Overall though, I think this set is well worth the money.

Great Product
It would have been nice if there were another voice on the CD (female, child), but overall this is a great product. I enjoy listening to the CDs in the car during commute. ... Read more

Amazon.com
This is a long, satisfying, commanding novel of the soldiers who were poised on the brink of real manhood when World War II flung them unceremoniously into that abyss. Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt is the nonconformist hero who refuses to box at Schofield Barracks and is slowly destroyed by his own rebelliousness. Around him, others are fighing their own small battles--and losing. It's worth noting that Jones' 1951 audience was shocked by his frank language and the sexual preoccupations of his characters.Book Description
Diamond Head, Hawaii, 1941.  Pvt. Robert E. Lee Prewitt is a champion welterweight and a fine bugler.  But when he refuses to join the company's boxing team, he gets "the treatment" that may break him or kill him.  First Sgt. Milton Anthony Warden knows how to soldier better than almost anyone, yet he's risking his career to have an affair with the commanding officer's wife.  Both Warden and Prewitt are bound by a common bond:  the Army is their heart and blood . . .and, possibly, their death.

In this magnificent but brutal classic of a soldier's life, James Jones portrays the courage, violence and passions of men and women who live by unspoken codes and with unutterable despair. . .in the most important American novel to come out of World War II, a masterpiece that captures as no ther the honor and savagery of men.


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (57)

Waiting for the war, but the war hasn't arrived
I've read only a few war novels in my day and most of them are about, well, war.Which is interesting and all, but there's only so many ways you can depict war as horrifying and dehumanizing, and the soldiers involved as both heroic and all too human, the command structure as haphazard and detached.So I wasn't looking terribly forward to the prospect of diving into yet another massive examination of soldier life, and yet, that's not really what this is about.Jones' novel isn't so much about WWII as about sitting on the cusp of WWII, taking place in the months just before Pearl Harbor.Everyone is training for a war that may or may not happen, more or less hanging out in Hawaii, killing time in between drills with drinking or prostitutes, living the Army life as best they can.The story pivots around two characters, enlisted fellow Prewitt and staff sergeant Warden, following their separate stories as well where they intersect, and how they interact with everyone around them.Prewitt's tale is the slightly more visceral of the two, he's an excellent boxer that refuses to go out for the team, even though his superiors would very much like him to.They'd like him to so much that they'll go to nearly any lengths to break him, in order to make him fall in line and fit in, with the entire company eventually trying to wear him down.It's a rather frightening depiction at times of the military's somewhat necessary need for comformity taken to a new level, stamping down on anyone who dares to deviate.Meanwhile, Warden is attempting to hold the company together, and pursuing an affair with the wife of his superior officer.The stories of these men collide with everyone else they come into contact with, as Jones vividly relays military life on the base and in the town, detailing the trials and loves the men endure and force themselves into.It's a surprisingly angry book at times, the language coiled and sharp, etching out the duality of the longtimers who both love and hate the Army that nourishes and captures them.The salty language and somewhat brutal scenes are shocking not in how graphic they are but how frank and matter of factly they're presented.The prose achieves a strange jagged beauty in parts, as Jones dives right into the minds and emotions of the men involved.It becomes, as I said, not a book about war but about people at war.Pearl Harbor doesn't even occur until most of the book is over with.It's not the fastest paced book, the early chapters are necessary to set up everything that will come later but you are going to be about halfway through before all the setting up starts to gain momentum but after that it barely pauses.It's tragic and visceral and sort of beautiful in its own way, not because it glorifies but in the way it shows everything, the times when the system beats them down, the small moments of friendship, the way men you depend on with both look out for you and let you down, sometimes in the same moment.Surprisingly readable despite the length, it carries a fire and passion that most books can't even approach.Probably one of the best military books ever written that doesn't involve long descriptions about how a gun works.

It gradually earned my affection...
From Here to Eternity is a singular reading experience:gritty, raucous, desperate, raw and, yet, ultimately sublime.James Jones fields a superb cast of characters with which relatively few novels can compete.More than once, it reminded me of Catch 22 (without the intended absurdity) - Pianosa set down in a peaceful Hawaii just prior to Pearl Harbor.

Distractingly, there are times when the author is guilty of pontification.There are stretches which seem entirely gratuitous. The two protagonists, Prewitt and Warden, elsewise dynamic, can wax numbingly philosophic.But, by the middle of the book I was captive to a steadily mounting anticipation, the culmination of which plays out true to form - recklessly, brutally as the soldiers of G Company ready themselves for war.

There is a quality of novel which can best be described by the wistfulness with which one completes it.I was sorry to see this one end.Despite the violence, hard living, bravado and despair, James Jones concludes with hope and endurance.Like Herman Wouk's Winds of War and War and Remembrance, From Here to Eternity is a classic among WWII literature. 5 stars.

A read that seared me right down to the bone...
In my humble uneducated opinion, this book is superior to the film as is usually the case. But the movie is STILL a classic, so don't get preturbed at me for sayin' that. It's by and large one'a my favorites, but you don't get the FULL impact of James Jones' story unless you read this book. And while it is LONG as hell, it's worth it. I'll be honest, I was so intimidated by it, I bought it and didn't touch it for a year; I'd never even ATTEMPTED a book that was 800-plus, but when I finally got up the courage, I was hooked by the third chapter. Of course, like most people my age, I had the preconceived notion of how I viewed the characters from the movie, but, trust me, that doesn't water down the incredible impact of the way the book unfolds; it clings more to tragedy and despair than the film, and truly encapsulates Jones' theory that the world stops to mourn no man. He puts you right there for everything; the corruption, the favoritism, the "treatment", the hookers, and many other controversial, politically incorrect topics that the mere mention in this review would be censored. Fifty some years after its first publication the book still feels scandalous. The stockade scenes for instance which were only briefly implied in the film are brutal to read.

But what's really REALLY great is the way Jones puts you in the mind of each and every character, even the ones we're supposed to despise, like Sgt. Galovitch or Dynamite Holmes, making it not so "black and white" like the film was (literally and figuratively). Everyone is a human being, whether in the corridors of power or in the messhall cleaning; there is no true villain; characters you latch on to will more than likely do something or say something to enrage you at least once or twice before the book is over; they're all flawed human beings confused and uncertain about their place in Uncle Sam's army. This book is a real, unflinching, highly critical and uncompromising view of the United States Army and Infantry told from the views of the young faceless men serving at the bottom end; accounts which aren't heard nearly enough.

But the most gut-wrenching part to me deals with a secondary character; the long drawn-out scene of Isaac Bloom considering his options before his tragic end. That scene brought real true-to-life tears into my eyes which hasn't been brought to me by a book in a long time. Anyone looking for a deep, involved, beautifully harsh an' thought-provoking read that shows you the pain and indifference prevalent in the life of the modern man, look no further.

awesome
GREAT SERVICE.EXACTLY WHAT THE DESCRIPTION SAID.WOULD BY FROM THEM AGAIN!!

Epic novel of army life.
This is a great book about gritty army life, pre-WWII. Don't expect any combat, the Pearl Harbor attack doesn't come until the end and there's not a whole lot about it. Read this for a first-hand account of what being a "sojer" was like in the peace-time army in Hawaii. Boozing, fighting, gambling, shack-jobs, whorehouses, and mundane army drills and duties. ... Read more

Amazon.com
"When compared to the fact that he might very well be dead by this time tomorrow, whether he was courageous or not today was pointless, empty. When compared to the fact that he might be dead tomorrow, everything was pointless.Life was pointless. Whether he looked at a tree or not was pointless. It just didn't make any difference. It was pointless to the tree, it was pointless to every man in his outfit, pointless to everybody in the whole world. Who cared?It was not pointless only to him; and when he was dead, when he ceased to exist, it would be pointless to him too. More important: Not only would it be pointless, it would have been pointless, all along."

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.Amazon.com Audiobook Review
An old Midwestern saying goes, "There's only a thin red line between the sane and the mad." War seems to stretch that line almost to the breaking point. James Jones's classic World War II novel recounts with brutal honesty the stories of the men of C-for-Charlie Company as they struggle to hold on to their honor, their sanity, and their lives on Guadalcanal. Actor Joe Mantegna turns in an able performance, his voice expressing a roller coaster of emotions (though his Welsh accent may require some patience). Whether or not you agree with Jones that war is the "most heroic of all human endeavors," this recording will move you. (Running time: 6 hours, 4 cassettes) --C.B. DelaneyBook Description
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" 1stSgt. Eddie Welsh, SSgt. 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.Download Description
Delta is proud to re-release "The Thin Red Line", soon to be a major motion picture. A classic war novel from the author of From Here to Eternity, it is the story of the men of C-for-Charlie company before, during, and after the Allied effort at Guadalcanal. Capturing for all time the total experience of men at war, it is a shatteringly realistic walk into hell and back. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (77)

Top notch historical fiction
I had an urge lately to get a feel of what it must have been like for my Father when he was in the U.S. Amry and fought in the Solomon Islands and the Phillipines in WW2. I'll never really know as he never did speak much about it all. This book may have given me a glimpse. It is very well written, very vivid, and hard to put down. I'd say buy it and you will not regret it later. If the actual combat and conditions portrayed in this book are close to the real thing, I now know why Dad never spoke of it. Pretty horrible stuff. I am now reading 'The Naked And The Dead." Another fine book so far, that I think I will also recommend when finished.

A Piece of the Action
I decided to reread this novel after a span of fifty years during which I devoured many, many other writings -- fiction and nonfiction -- about war. "The Thin Red Line," in my opinion, among the best in the fiction genre.

This is a story about a company of soldiers fighting on the island of Guadalcanal during WWII. One of the most hellish, drawn-out battles of the Pacific war, Guadalcanal brought the reality of combat home to Americans. This was early in the war, and the US Army was ill-prepared for jungle fighting, but troops were thrown into the meat grinder nevertheless. Most of those who survived the fighting on Guadalcanal developed malaria or dengue fever.

Jones makes no effort to pose the story as part of a larger, noble effort. This is about a group of mostly inexperienced soldiers who find themselves in hell. Each soldier (at least those who survive) comes to terms with the war in his own way, and each undergoes profound change, with the result that at the end of the book the surviving characters are not the people they were in the beginning. Due to strong characterization, and through the omnipotent point of view, Jones allowsthe reader to see the changes taking place. There is no message except, possibly: If you survive you win.

This is a classic of the war genre.

The Only Anti-war Novel Ever Written for Grown-ups
Nearly all anti-war novels are written at the intellectual level you find on display at college freshman rap sessions. "Gee, what would happen if they gave a war and no one showed up?" is the only message you'll get from Catch-22, Johnny Got His Gun and any others you can name. The Thin Red Line is the only anti-war novel with the intellectual and emotional heft that a serious thinker can enjoy.

The reason for this is that unlike other books that attempt to depict the horrors of war (which it does, by the way, better than any other novel I've read), James Jones understands the necessity and inevitability of war, even though he does not holdback from his readership the full horror of war. The result is a book like no other you'll read, one which brings you so closely to the cannon's mouth that you'll feel the humidity of the jungle, the sudden shift from calm to chaos, the friendships and the hatreds. Jones so captures the emotions of what it means to be a soldier, an American and a male that he is unparalled in American letters.

Not bad if you like War Stories
This is one of my first modern war books I read. It is about the invasion of Guadalcanal. But the story is so much more than the facts. The reader I think really gets to feel the blunt, ugly, horror of war. It would seem a soldier in WWII would feel the isolation and loneliness so far from home. Todays military features e-mail and access to information where ever you are. You have to wonder what kept many more of these soldiers from going insane. Sometimes I think the author could of developed his characters a little more, but the action in the book made for a lot of excitement.

Isolation of war
When I read the Thin Red Line, I was impressed by the imagery and character development, but I found myself searchign for the theme of the novel.There is no lead character, so I wasn't sure what point of view I was being asked to take.Most of the characters are unlikeable, secretive and selfish.But then I began to realize that this was the theme of the novel.It's about what war turns men into.All of these men in a normal time and place would enjoy friends and families, they'd have hobbies and ambitions and would feel love and kindness, but the war has robbed them of their capacity to care about anyone but themselves.

Most war stories are about the way that war brings men together, bonds them in ways that peacetime can never equal, but there is no bonding in The Thin Red Line.They're all on their own, selfishly scrabbling for survival.A few characters do show signs of humanity, but their kindness leads only to disgrace, death or tagedy.

As for the movie, All I can say is that I enjoyed the military scenes, but nothing in the movie holds a candle to the novel.Each character in the novel is so vivid and fascinating, but in the movie many of the actors don't seem to have any idea how to bring that character to life.Nick Nolte is awesome.He's exactly like the novel character.But Adrian Brody is nothing at all like Fife.

Mostly I was annoyed by how wimpy the movie was.There are scenes of horror in the book that are treated in the movie bloodlessly.It would have been better not to include those scenes at all.For instance, theres a long passage where an unlucky soldier is badly wounded in the field and is screaming bloody murder.In the movie his screams motivate compassion, and people die trying to help him.In the novel people are motivated by disgust at his screams.His screams are looked on as major annoyances, and he is credited with destroying the company's morale.So people die trying to shut him up.That was a raw and horrific scene in the novel, and would have been amazing if they'd done it properly in the movie.

Anyway, this is not an enjoyable novel, but it was definitely well written and not the same old thing.I've never read another war novel that's anything like it. ... Read more

Book Description
The Man With A Voice Of Biblical Proportions Washington Post December 18, 2000 By Phil McCombs

Suddenly, in the midst of Washington rush-hour traffic, a great sense of calm settles over me.

I'm listening to a tape, and it's filling my soul with thoughts and feelings of peace and joy. A guy cuts me off and I let him, equally sorry that he's in such a frenzied state and grateful that--for once--I'm not. As traffic repeatedly grinds to a halt, I seem to be getting happier because it gives me more time to listen to the tape.

"James Earl Jones Reads the Bible" is the title of this work that a pal turned me on to. "The greatest voice of our time reads the greatest book of all time," the jacket blurb says. In 19 hours (12 cassettes), Jones reads the entire New Testament in a stunning, virtually flawless performance.

I've always tended to think of him as the voice of CNN, or the voice of Darth Vader, maybe, or of Simba's father in "The Lion King." Or the guy who answers when you dial 411 with a stirring, "Welcome to Verizon, local and national 411."

What a voice!

Basso profundo, I think they call it. Listening to Jones read the Bible is like unto listening to your grandfather read you stories when you were little--utterly soothing and reassuring.

It has transformed my daily commute from living hell to something like a spiritual experience, and I generally arrive at work now brimming with good cheer. If I happen to interrupt Jones for radio news, verily I say unto you that its gnashing blare and shrieking commercialism come as painful shocks.

Maybe we could set up roadblocks and confiscate drivers' cellphones in exchange for these tapes. Get thee behind me, Road Rage.

Right now, with the hellidays approaching, I'm finding refuge in Jones's take on the Christmas story from the second chapter of Luke. The great thing about having it on tape is I can listen over and over, getting deeper into the meaning each time. I even find, later, that I've memorized entire passages without even trying.

"And it came to pass in those days," Jones intones, "that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. . . . "

Screeeech! The guy in front of me jerks to a halt. I could care less.

"And [Mary] brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."

As many times as I've heard the simple, haunting tale, it's never had a more powerful impact. Jones's rendition sends chills up and down my spine. Somehow that voice of his--calm, deep, powerful: an incredible gift--makes the words seem more thrilling than ever.

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. . . ."

By the time the heavenly host is saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men," I'm practically in tears. Who doesn't need a little saving in this stressed-out, coffeed-up world of worry, power, fear and road rage?

Jones has so obviously put his heart into this work that I wanted to call him up and talk about it. For one thing, I wondered how he managed to make the first 16 verses of the first chapter of Matthew's gospel--the "begats" enumerating all the generations from Abraham to Jesus--absolutely mesmerizing.

Alas, Jones declined an interview through an aide. "He recorded it a long, long time ago," she explained. "He's very humble about his own work, and his religion is a very personal thing to him. He'd prefer not to talk about it."

Fair enough. I know he's a lovely, low-key guy, having once talked with him and his beautiful wife, the actress Cecilia Hart, at a Washington party. What I hadn't quite realized, not ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

Best of Best
James Earl Jones reads the bible was a gift I gave out this year to 2 people, one reported back it was great!!!!It made him look back into the bible and feel what GOD had to say.It makes for a better understanding of the Bible and it's good for driving.

The bible on CD
I was very pleased with the quality of the cd's. I would also like to extend the set to include the old testament

James earl hones reads the bible
I got the cds as a gift, they were not in "new condition". The box had a big dent and the sticker seals were not factory seals. They did get to me a lot sooner than expected. The Cds were in great condition.

bible
I recommend this to every one that does not have the time to read the bible. It's great sitting at your desk at work, or just doing house work, you can listen to it in your car. No more excuses for not reading the bible.

the bible
its everything i thought it would be and more I take my hat off 2 James Earl Jones ... Read more

Product Description
mixed lot ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A real mans friendship.
This book was the basis for the excellent film "A soldiers daughter never cries".The writing is fine and gentle, Morris is a scholarly man with a deft comic touch. The author and his friend James Jones belong square in the American "geography of masculinity" literary genre, peopled by the likes of Jim Harrison. If you enjoyed "Legends of the Fall" you will enjoy this for different but similar reasons.It would have been great fun to go drinking with these guys!Highly recommended. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A good bio of Jones
I don't really expect a lot from biographies.The facts are what is necessary for me.But I did enjoy reading this book about an interesting man of letters - an enigma in the alumni of American writers to be sure. Jones life is told in a cronologically fashion with many anecdotes andquotes given of this great writer and complex man. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

wow
very thought provoking...a must read for people who really want to know about public health and how the system (government) treated ( and perhaps to this day) treat the less privileged

Tuskegee Experiment & Crack Epidemic
Bad Blood points out that the US Surgeon General at the time was Hugh Smith Cumming.In 1939 he was responsible more than any other person for creating the system we now have in place that controls narcotics and other banned substances which San Jose Mercury News journalist and Pulitizer Prize Winner, Gary Webb, said was controlled by a handful of power elites through the CIA.

Fearing a race war when Webb's information was exposed, Bill Clinton, who apolgized for the Tuskegee Experiment, also sent CIA Director John Deutsch to LA to quell a groundswell of complaints among blacks who feared (rigtly) that their goverment was poisoning inner city youth with drugs.

Hugh Smith Cumming's close kin married Chase Untermeyer, the US Navy Officer who became the Texas State Representative from the exclusive Tanglewood area of Houston where GHWB had his disputed Texas address while in office.Untermeyer's bride is from the Hugh Smith Cumming family and was on the staff of GHWB's legal counsel.Untermeyer is now Ambassador to Qatar.

Webb's work shined a light on the Reagan/Bush backed CIA Iran-Contra drug distribution in the US. Webb's book DARK ALLIANCE, when combined with BAD BLOOD shows how close we have come to a Fascist State.

Remember that next time CNN, FOX or the rest report on the White House's interest in bugging your telephones.


Corpus Christi, TX

African-American Victims Of Government Laboratory Experiments!!!
One of the least known facts of U.S. history is the government sponsored syphilis experiment conducted upon 399 African-American men from 1932 to 1972.Over the course of these five decades, the U.S. Public Health Service exploited African-American sharecroppers in its effort to determine if the long-term affects of syphilis were different for black people than it was for white people. During the trials, the doctors who conducted the experimentations intentionally denied these men treatment; never informed them of syphilis' destructiveness to their health; and ignored the fact that these men were infecting their respective wives and sexual partners with the disease.As the experiments continued, doctors calculatedly deceived the subjects, informing them that they were suffering from what was categorized as: "bad blood".As the disease ravaged the minds and bodies of these unsuspecting men, no effort was made by the physicians of the Public Health Service to either inform them regarding the disease or provide them with treatment in an effort to curtail its devastating effects.

Jones presents a detailed, non-sensationalized writing that delves into the ignorance, racism and outright inhumanity that was entrenched throughout the United States; the medical arena; and society in general prior to and during these horrific experiments.He provides a plethora of documentation to substantiate the bigotry and callousness of the medical field during the era, and acknowledges the data provided by individuals who participated in the experiments or who conveyed valuable information.By the end of the experimentation, at least 28 of the men had died of syphilis; over 100 died of related complications; at least 40 of their wives had been infected, and over 20 of their children had been born with congenital syphilis.

Bad Blood should be read by all those who are of the opinion that the upper echelons of U.S. society (in this case, the medial profession and the government itself) are above despicable acts that border on genocide.Clearly there is no conspiracy "theory" here...instead we find conspiracy FACT!Perhaps former U.S. President Bill Clinton's statement regarding the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments encapsulates the incident best in his speech to the last eight survivors of the experiments in 1997:"The United States government did something that was wrong-deeply, profoundly, morally wrong.It was an outrage to our commitment to integrity and equality for all our citizens...clearly racist".

Something In This Milk Ain't "White" Blues
During the 40 years of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, the school had threee usa negroid ethnic presidents...

Dr. Robert R. Moton
Dr. Frederick D. Patterson
Dr. Luther H. Foster

Interesting, also is the little mentioned fact that more than 200 USA Negroid ethnic medical students and 600 USA Negroid ethnic nursing students did clinic rounds within the Syphilis Study...

Why did not one of these "professional and educated" Negroes sound the alarm that something was ethical wrong about what was being done to those 200 or so "sexually diseased "poor country" negroes"?

This story is less to do with so-called "white racism" but rather humankind's condition since it "climbed out or fall out" of the trees of that "misty and forever lost" Eden...

Which is the reality that...

Educated, powerful, "cold and greedy" human beings (dark pale or otherwise) will always screw "illiterate, materally poor and mentally weak" human beings - when the "High/Holy with little moral character" feel that they can get away with it.

Blues at you

or, How racism permeates...
I am not a doctor, a researcher nor an ethicist.I am an African American woman who grew up in southern Virginia, has heard off-the-cuff references to the Tuskegee incident almost all of my conscious-life, and finally wanted to read its details.While I agree with one reviewer who pointed out that the text does not read like a "thriller," I found the writing easy to understand as an indictment of racism whether systemically or individually manifest.I appreciate that the author took great care to provide a general framework of how people respond to the medical establishment (e.g. "follow the doctor's orders") while also detailing the way by which the doctors deliberately manipulated that trust to ensure the compliance of rural black men and black members of the profession.The latter is important - the author shows compliance and allegiance among the black medical officials who were pulled into the experiment, subtly encouraged by monetary or status rewards.I also like how the author painstakingly pulled together the text of meetings, memos and memoirs to show how bureaucracy, tradition and group think work to create racist outcomes - it suggested a universality to it, not a "only in the medical establishment" or "only in the South" version of events.And the author's telling of how all the institutions and individuals, when caught, backpedaled or otherwise covered up their role in the experiment was just amazing...Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Biography of actor James Earl Jones with b/w family photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

James Earl Jones Voice is Key
This is an excellent way to listen to scripture especially while driving. Fast delivery. Thanks.

James Earl Jones should stick with Darth Vader.
I was excited to get this CD set, since I know James Earl Jones has a great set of pipes, and I have listened so much to Alexander Scourby's reading of the Bible that I was ready for a new reading.I was disappointed the first time I listened.Jones does not use inflection while he reads; the result is that the words sound lifeless.As a Christian believer, that abhors me.

But more than his lifeless reading, I am apalled at Jones' changing of the text.He is reading the King James Version, but he changes the words at will.For example, the text will read "Christ Jesus" and Jones will read "Jesus Christ."I counted 21 errors in his reading of the Book of Ephesians alone.If you believe, as I do, in the divine inspiration of the Word of God, you will not be able to stand how Jones imposes his own changes to the text without any textual or scriptural justification.Jones should stick with Darth Vader.

Disappointing
The guy has a voice like no one else, but the original King James version language (all the "unto's" and "ye's" and "thou's"). - lame backround music - and a whispery, momontone reading (if you can imagine James Earl Jones doing that) - makes this far inferior to Johnny Cash's reading of the New Testament.

Johnny Cash proclaims the Word of God beautifully and simply.If you're not much of a believer, it just is done well and straight forward.

The New King James Version in Cash's reading is more modern English (Easier on the ears.)But this is still majestic langauge.Also, no accompanying organ music.Just him reading slowly and with understanding.

If you are going to buy one - get Johnny Cash reading the New Testament.

Fans of James Earl Jones, or Star Wars' Darth Vader, Should Be Pleased!
I love this reading of the King James Version's New Testament! I only wish he had done the Old Testament as well! He is still alive, so maybe they will do that someday (hint, hint)?

James Earl Jones has a great, classy voice for this type of reverent material. He makes the sometimes difficult King James Version easier to follow, during his reading.

This James Earl Jones set has some quiet music playing in the background, so that is my biggest criticism. The music is more like MUZAK, which has nothing to do with the Bible scenes being read. Distracting, but it also fades away from notice eventually.

If you know any Star Wars fans, then this is a perfect way to get them introduced to Bible material, since James Earl Jones is the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars films.

I love these celebrity readings of the Bible. Another great celebrity Bible reading is Johnny Cash's attempt, so check that out, too! These type of celebrity readings are great for fans of the celebrity, but if you are wanting a great Bible reading on CD, then I would suggest a dramatized version of the New International Version (NIV) from the Zondervan company.

I also really enjoy THE MESSAGE!, a contemporary paraphrase, not a translation of the Bible, which is very engrossing, but sometimes strays too far from the actual scripture verses. All of these Bible CDs are imperfect, but it's fun to hear and get exposed to the differences, as long as they make a serious attempt to be faithful and accurate to the Scriptures.

If you are considering buying this James Earl Jones set, then you probably have enough interest to enjoy owning and listening to this. I love this CD set! Even though it's not perfect, it is still very enjoyable and inspirational. I highly recommend it!

Beautifully soothing...
Monotone?I loved listening to Mr. Jones' voice, and I would tend to listen all the way through and even understand it better than when I read it myself....and as for mispronouncing words, I have no doubt that there was training and practicing of unfamiliar words ahead of time, so any "mispronunciations" were just a matter of choice by the speaker, his OWN variation of some words which is very often allowable in our English language.I have always found his brand of accent/dialect very appealing, so yes, I was very happy to start listening to these CDs performed by an actor I've always admired. To each his own though, I guess...... ... Read more