Irwin Shaw was already widely recognized as one of America’s finest writers of short stories and plays when The Young Lions appeared.  The enthusiastic response of critics was almost unprecedented, and – more importantly – many critics immediately recognized the permanent stature of the novel.  “The book is an authentic contribution to the enduring body of American literature,” said one critic.  “It will be read long after other successes of the day are out of print and out of mind.”

Time has proved their judgments right, for this engrossing novel of men at war is in fact a testament of our century.  It is the story of modern man in a moment of extreme ordeal, dramatically told by an acutely sensitive creative writer.  The editors of the Modern Library are proud to include it as a work of distinguished and enduring achievement.