Private William Mandella is a man about to embark on a journey that will traverse space and time, war and uneasy peace. By the close of the book, the reluctant soldier will have travelled over twelve centuries. That can be traumatic enough, but it is the changes in society, mores, and norms that will be the most difficult barriers facing him. No work before or since this novel has so successfully portrayed the emotional toll of what is, essentially, time-travel.