Fun Facts Friday: James Jones

James Jones (6 November, 1921 – 9 May, 1977)was an American author, mostly known for his award winning novel From Here to Eternity.

Books by James Jones*

1. The future author was born as James Ramon Jones in Robinson, IL.
2. At the age of 17, Mr. Jones enlisted in the US Army. He served before, and during, World War II in Hawaii, and saw combat on Guadalcanal at the Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse battle.
3. Mr. Jones was wounded at the Sea Horse battle. He was discharged in 1944.
4. During the Vietnam War Mr. Jones worked as a journalist covering the war.
5. Mr. Jones’ first novel, From Here to Eternity (1951) won the National Book Award for Fiction, and was named one of the 100 best novels of the 20th century by the Modern Library Board.
6. Some Came Running (1957), the author’s second novel, was harshly criticized for misspelled words and errors in punctuation. Those, however, were conscious stylistic choices by Mr. Jones.
7. The film adaptation of Some Came Running (starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Shirley MacLaine), however, was received very well and nominated for five academy awards.
8. Mr. Jones helped to form the Handy Writers’ Colony in Marshall, Illinois.
9. The colony broke apart after a few years when Mr. Jones went to live in France.
10. He drew upon his experiences in Guadalcanal to write The Thin Red Line, which was very well received and also made into a successful motion picture.

Books by James Jones*

Zohar — Man of la Book
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