Catch-22 by Heller, Joseph - 1961

New York: Simon & Schuster, 1961. light blue cloth-covered boards, stamped in white on the backstrip; top edge stained orange, as called for, 443pp., First edition, First Printing, so stated on the copyright page; in first state Paul Bacon-designed dustjacket. Inscribed and signed by Heller in black ink on the front free endpaper: "To Edwin Rudetsky | with very best | wishes - | Joseph Heller." Accompanying the book is an Autograph Letter, Signed; [68 Skimhampton Road] East Hampton, New York; one page, recto only, on Heller's imprinted stationary; duodecimo; 11 centimeters by 14 centimeters; twelve lines, plus the date, salutation, closure and signature, in blue ink, addressed to the book's former owner, reading: "Dear Edwin Rudetsky: | Now I have a better idea | where those sailboats and | motor boats off Coney Island | come from. I was there just | this past weekend; the | boats are still there. It's | still too early for the | swimmers. But I bet they'll | come and some will still | swim out to that same | bell buoy. Thanks for writing, | thanks for reading - | Joseph Heller." The letter is preserved in its original envelope of transit, with Heller's engraved address on the rear flap, postmarked 05 May, 1998; approximately nineteen months before the author's untimely death, on 14 December, 1999. In near fine plus condition, with faint soiling and staining to the covers and few pages, a small stain the size of a pencil erasure on the back endpaper, and a slightly faded top-stain; in a very good dustjacket, with verso of the dustjacket showing some conservative reinforcement, to the foot and crown of spine, spine panel still quite bright and relatively unfaded, and light shelfwear.. Signed by Author. First Edition. Hard Cover in Dust Jacket. Near Fine/Very Good.