For Whom The Bell Tolls Ernest Hemingway Novel of wartime Spain, in which a young American and a Spanish girl live a lifetime of love and courage in four momentous days, it speaks with final and unforgettable power for the truth--the truth of war and life in our time.

For Whom The Bell Tolls, published in 1940, is Hemingway's longest novel. In it, he tells the story of the Spanish Civil War and the young American, Robert Jordan, who joins a small band of Spanish rebels in the mountains fighting against the Fascists. Robert is a demolitionist and he is sent to join the guerillas, in preparation for blowing up a bridge. The story takes place over just the four days leading up to their attack. The characters include Pablo, the disillusioned freedom fighter who is ready to give up on war, Pilar, the strong-willed woman who takes charge of the small band, and Maria, the young woman who was raped by Fascists and with whom Jordan falls in love.

The title of the book is taken from a passage by the 17th Century English poet John Donne which begins, "No man is an island..." and goes on: "any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." The title captures Hemingway's sense in the book that all people are connected and that one man's death, whether Republican or Fascist, affects all men.

As in his other books, Hemingway's language is terse but serves to create beautiful images. His description of war conveys the reality and futility of all war, along with a strong sense of the humanity of those involved. Few of the Spanish guerillas have an understanding of the real reasons that they fight except for Pablo, who has an idea of the futility of war and fears his own death. Jordan, the American, remains strong and true to his cause, though he comes to understand what is ultimately important in life and the true cost of war.