J

James Jones

5 Series • 16 Books

5
Series
16
Books
5
Active

🎯 Where Should I Start?

Best Starting Point
Publication Order of The World War II Trilogy Books
Start with: From Here to Eternity (1951)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
Start with: Some Came Running (1957)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Collections
Start with: The Ice-Cream Headache & Other Stories (1983)

ⓘ About James Jones

In 1939, he enlisted in the United States Army at the age of seventeen and served in the 25th Infantry Division, 27th Infantry Regiment before and during World War II, first in Hawaii at Schofield Barracks on Oahu, and then in combat on Guadalcanal at the Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse, where he was wounded in his ankle. He came back to the US and was discharged in July of 1944. He also worked as a journalist covering the Vietnam War. His wartime experiences inspired some of his most famous works. He witnessed firsthand the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which led to “From Here to Eternity”, while “The Thin Red Line” reflected his combat experiences on Guadalcanal.

All Book Series by James Jones

1
From Here to Eternity book cover

From Here to Eternity

Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 1951

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1951
2
The Thin Red Line book cover

The Thin Red Line

Book 2 of 3 · published 1962

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1962
3
Whistle book cover

Whistle

Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 1978

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1978
1
Some Came Running book cover

Some Came Running

Series opener · book 1 of 6 · published 1957

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1957
2
The Pistol book cover

The Pistol

Book 2 of 6 · published 1960

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1960
3
Go to the Widow-Maker book cover

Go to the Widow-Maker

Book 3 of 6 · published 1967

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1967
4
The Merry Month of May book cover

The Merry Month of May

Book 4 of 6 · published 1971

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1971
5
A Touch of Danger book cover

A Touch of Danger

Book 5 of 6 · published 1973

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1973
6
To the End of the War book cover

To the End of the War

Latest in the series · book 6 of 6 · published 2011

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2011
1
The Ice-Cream Headache & Other Stories book cover

The Ice-Cream Headache & Other Stories

Single-title series · published 1983

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1983
1
Viet Journal book cover

Viet Journal

Series opener · book 1 of 4 · published 1974

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1974
2
WW II: A Chronicle of Soldiering book cover

WW II: A Chronicle of Soldiering

Book 2 of 4 · published 1975

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1975
3
To Reach Eternity: The Letters of James Jones book cover

To Reach Eternity: The Letters of James Jones

Book 3 of 4 · published 1989

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1989
4
In Our Own Hands book cover

In Our Own Hands

Latest in the series · book 4 of 4 · published 1994 Co-authored · Amy Merick

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1994
1
Ten Modern American Short Stories book cover

Ten Modern American Short Stories

Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 1965

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1965
2
Great World War II Stories book cover

Great World War II Stories

Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 1989

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1989

? Frequently Asked Questions

Who is James Jones?

In 1939, he enlisted in the United States Army at the age of seventeen and served in the 25th Infantry Division, 27th Infantry Regiment before and during World War II, first in Hawaii at Schofield Barracks on Oahu, and then in combat on Guadalcanal at the Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse, where he was wounded in his ankle. He came back to the US and was discharged in July of 1944. He also worked as a journalist covering the Vietnam War.

Which James Jones series should I start with?

The best place to start is The World War II Trilogy series, the earliest of James Jones's multi-book series: it opens with From Here to Eternity (1951) and runs to 3 books across 1951–1978, ending with Whistle (1978).

How many books has James Jones written?

James Jones has 16 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1951 and 2011. 3 of them belong to 1 named series — the largest being The World War II Trilogy series with 3 books — and 13 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.

In what order should James Jones's series be read?

Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. James Jones's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are The World War II Trilogy (1951–1978, 3 books).

How are James Jones's books organised into series?

This guide splits James Jones's 16 books into 1 named series and 13 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: The World War II Trilogy (3 books, 1951–1978).