If I Die In a Combat Zone, Box Me Up & Ship Me Home. By Tim O’Brien. First Edition, First Printing. Delacorte. New York, 1973.

Tim O’Brien is a celebrated American author who is best known for his novels about the Vietnam War. A veteran himself, his work applies verisimilitude only possible from his firsthand experiences. While this quality underscores many of his novels, there is no better text for understanding his life and experiences in Vietnam than If I Die In a Combat Zone. It is O’Brien’s first book-length publication–a memoir about his tour in Vietnam, written immediately following his return to the United States in 1970. With the war still raging, If I Die In a Combat Zone served as a critical text for Americans trying to understand the lived experiences of American troops. Critics praised the work upon publication. It established O’Brien’s career as the greatest writer of the Vietnam War. To this day, If I Die In a Combat Zone, Box Me Up & Ship Me Home is widely considered the best war memoir from the period.

This first edition, first printing is in very good condition. In the original quarter cloth, about-fine with only fading to edges. Text block fine. In the original dust jacket, good with some chipping and rubbing, a closed tear to head of spine, soiling, fading, and creases to flaps.

A very good first edition of Tim O’Brien’s first book.