Books

A fantastic association copy of this deluxe reissue of Catch-22. This copy is inscribed to Nina Bourne, who was the advertising director at Simon and Schuster when Catch-22 was published. Signed by Heller on the limitation page, this copy is additionally inscribed on the front free endpaper by him, "Dear Nina, I want you to have a copy of this special edition of a novel with which you are now eternally associated, especially since there are not very many people who want to pay $125 to own one and some have come to me gratis. Also, it's possible you may not have yet seen your glorious name in the preface. Best, as always, Joe. May 24, 1995. East Hampton, N.Y." In the new introduction that Heller wrote for this edition, he credits Bourne for her creative ad campaign that helped get this first novel noticed. The New York Times' obituary for Bourne noted, "The campaign she created for Catch-22 is now regarded as a classic. Ms. Bourne was the most passionate in-house champion of the book, a darkly comic tale of World War II by a first-time novelist." Nina Bourne was close friends with Robert Gottlieb, the editor at Simon & Schuster who discovered Heller and worked with him for years on Catch-22. When Gottlieb left S&S for Knopf, Bourne went with him, which explains why Heller thought she might not have seen the preface to this edition. Gottlieb inherited this book when Bourne died in 2010 and it comes from his estate (with provenance). Simon & Schuster reissued Catch-22 in hardcover and in this signed, limited edition to coincide with the publication of Closing Time, a sequel to the original novel. Bound in publisher's original blue cloth with spine lettered in gilt, fading to spine cloth. Near Fine with light rubbing to lettering on spine, in a Near Fine publisher's slipcase with light soiling, scuffing and wear. An important association copy.

Catch-22 is a satirical war novel by American author Joseph Heller, first published in 1961. The novel is set during World War II, from 1942 to 1944, and follows Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier, and the other airmen in the camp, who attempt to maintain their sanity while fulfilling their service requirements so that they can return home.