Once There Was a War. By John Steinbeck. First Edition, First Printing. Viking. New York, 1958.

John Steinbeck is a titan of American literature. His career saw dozens of book-length publications, dozens of bestsellers, a Pulitzer Prize and a Nobel Prize. Yet perhaps less well-known are his essays, especially those from his year as a war correspondent during WWII. It was 1943. Steinbeck joined American troops in Europe and North Africa, and he quickly saw the line of duty. He documented his experiences and published them in the New York Herald Tribune. His essays focused on the soldiers and the day-to-day operations in personal, affecting detail. They were written in his exceptional prose, making them stand out from much of the purely journalistic reporting of the war. Then Steinbeck returned to the United States wounded in 1944. He went on to write some of the best novels of his career. It was not until this volume, Once There Was a War, that his WWII essays were revisited in book-form. The collection provides a chronological selection of his New York Herald Tribune publications from 1943. They are accompanied by Steinbeck’s introduction wherein he credits American soldiers with the success and bravery of WWII and humbly describes his role as mere observer–a modest framing, for the prose and his experience (one that included real danger) made a significant impact on morale and support for the troops.

This first edition, first printing is in very good condition. In the original quarter cloth, about-fine with only minor bumping to spine ends and corners. Text block fine. In the original dust jacket, very good with faded spine, small closed tears, creases, and chipping. Price clipped.

A very good first edition of Steinbeck’s collected war correspondence.