One of the great American novels about World War II, From Here to Eternity captures the personal struggles of U.S. soldiers in Hawaii in the days leading up to Pearl Harbor. It's a love story, a war story, and ultimately a story about rebellion and conformity. Unfortunately, Jones is rarely given due credit as one of the masters of twentieth-century fiction. And this may be his best work. Although it was made into a classic film, don't take the shortcut -- read the book. There's more here than making love on the beach.

Chris Hodgdon