The Caine Mutiny
by WOUK, HERMAN
- Used
- Signed
- first
- Condition
- First Edition. A near fine copy in a very good first issue, generally presumed second state, “City Boy”dust jacket, which i
- Seller
-
Newton, Massachusetts, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Garden City: Doubleday, 1951. First Edition. A near fine copy in a very good first issue, generally presumed second state, “City Boy”dust jacket, which is very good or a little better. This is nearly always incorrectly referred to as a second issue. Clearly, those copies of the jacket mentioning the Pulitzer Prize are later, more likely to be later printings rather than later issues (a jacket “issue” would have been supplied on first printings of the book. Possibly? Yes. Likely? No.). However, it appears to this cataloguer that the attribution of “The City Boy” as opposed to “City Boy” on the back panel preceding relies on conjecture and supposition, a belief apparently based on those copies noting the Pulitzer Prize dropping “The.” This conclusion is possible, even logical, but hardly definitive. It is useful to keep in mind that publishers had and have little reason to consider the future concerns of bibliographers. Publishing practice and the demands of commerce do not necessarily follow logic closely. One thing is certain however: these are variants, and another thing appears equally true: copies with “The City Boy” are scarcer. A valid, but self-serving bit of advice suggests the wisdom of acquiring both. Here endeth the lesson, but probably not the headaches. A bookplate signed by the author is tipped in over a previous owner’s inscription on the half-title. A Pulitzer Prize winning novel (noted on undeniably later issue dust jackets); the basis for the great 1954 film of the same title. It seems to this cataloguer that no novel has been better served by a filmed version than this book.
Synopsis
For the Broadway play, see The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. The Caine Mutiny is a 1951 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Herman Wouk. The novel grew out of Wouk's personal experiences aboard a destroyer-minesweeper in the Pacific in World War II and deals with, among other things, the moral and ethical decisions made at sea by the captains of ships. The mutiny of the title is legalistic, not violent, and takes place during a historic typhoon in December 1944.
Reviews
On Oct 5 2010, Pby5dumbo said:
Forget about the movie, except that as far as it goes, the characterizations, casting and motivations of players are fairly faithful to the story. In print, The Caine Mutiny is the story of the coming of age of Willie Keith, who barely figures in the movie at all. The Pulitzer-winning novel of 1952 is nothing less than the best fiction ever about the U.S. Navy and the best novel of World War II. By any reckoning, it's Herman Wouk's best work.Life aboard the Caine is mostly tedious and uncomfortable, as the little destroyer-minesweeper escorts convoys through hot expanses of ocean to featureless, desolate destinations. The citizen-sailors of the wardroom exhibit commendable conscience and care for the crew as they develop into seasoned watchstanders. The coffee is hot and strong, the food entirely unremarkable. They receive and decode Navy message traffic, written in realistic Navy telegraphese. (I had to look up the word cognizant when I first read this book, in the eighth grade.) Willie Keith's abiding memory of this time is being awakened routinely in the middle of the night. Meanwhile, the Caine's operational record builds a case for the captain's incompetence and unfitness to command. The typhoon that precipitates the actual mutiny is hisotrical, and the Navy did lose ships in it. The reader will come out the far end of the episode with no doubt that Steve Maryk saved the ship and the captain was not in control of himself, much less the ship, at the peak of the storm.Maryk, a C student from a state college and career fisherman, grapples with the arcane concepts of psychology without the professional tools to evaluate them, egged on by the novelist Tom Keefer, who turns out to be the real villain of this story. Be sure to take note of Keefer's performance as commander of the Caine. Meanwhile, Willie's scorching romance with Mae Wynn, whom any reader can see is intended to be his mate for life, works its way through stormy waters, mostly of Willie's making. It's been adequate to hold the attention of women readers for three generations, in the otherwise entirely masculine contexts of this novel.Wouk's portrayal of the Navy and the Caine are dead on target. His characters are fully developed; it would be impossible for a reader not to care for them. The narrative workmanship in characterization, setting and action is economic, precise, and well paced. This is not just a Navy story, it is a great contribution to the entire body of American literature. I re-read it often.
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Peter L. Stern & Company, Inc.
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 34944J
- Title
- The Caine Mutiny
- Author
- WOUK, HERMAN
- Book Condition
- Used - First Edition. A near fine copy in a very good first issue, generally presumed second state, “City Boy”dust jacket, which i
- Publisher
- Doubleday
- Place of Publication
- Garden City
- Date Published
- 1951
Terms of Sale
Peter L. Stern & Company, Inc.
Items are returnable for any reason for a full refund. Please inform us within three days of receipt and provide the reason for the return.
About the Seller
Peter L. Stern & Company, Inc.
Biblio member since 2009
Newton, Massachusetts
About Peter L. Stern & Company, Inc.
With more than 35 years experience in the rare book trade, Peter L. Stern and Co., Inc. has established itself as a highly regarded firm of antiquarian booksellers.
Specializing in 19th and 20th century literature, signed and inscribed books, and manuscripts we maintain a high quality inventory. Our shop is located in the heart of Newton Centre where we are open by chance or appointment
In the long-standing tradition of the rare book trade we continue to mail regular catalogues to our customers. We are easily accessible via the MBTA Green Line's D Branch. We travel widely and attend both international and local book fairs.
Specializing in 19th and 20th century literature, signed and inscribed books, and manuscripts we maintain a high quality inventory. Our shop is located in the heart of Newton Centre where we are open by chance or appointment
In the long-standing tradition of the rare book trade we continue to mail regular catalogues to our customers. We are easily accessible via the MBTA Green Line's D Branch. We travel widely and attend both international and local book fairs.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Tipped In
- Tipped In is used to describe something which has been glued into a book. Tipped-in items can include photos, book plates,...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- Second State
- used in book collecting to refer to a first edition, but after some change has been made in the printing, such as a correction,...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
Frequently asked questions
This Book’s Categories
Collecting the 1939 New York World’s Fair
Born in the midst of the Great Depression, the theme of the 1939 World’s Fair was “The World of Tomorrow” - a theme that captured the hearts of a generation. Check out the maps, souvenirs, and other ephemera on Biblio!
Collecting Signed Books
Read through our tips, hints, and information on collecting books signed or inscribed by the author or illustrator.
