“It was love at first sight.”

‪Asked how he conceived of Catch-22, Joseph Heller mostly stuck to a similar answer as he gave George Plimpton when interviewed by the Paris Review in 1974...‬

West of Pianosa

Catch-22 opens with a curious disclosure right before the dedication page stating: "The island of Pianosa lies in the Mediterranean Sea eight miles south of Elba. It is very small and obviously could not accommodate all of the actions described. Like the setting of this novel, the characters too, are fictitious.” Click image to read more...

This is “Pinpoint Bombing”

"This outstanding achievement, made possible by unsurpassed teamwork which combined exceptional planning with indomitable courage, flying skill and precision bombing, completely frustrated the enemy in his attempt to block the entrance of this strategic harbor and naval base." (340th Bombardment Group Unit Citation, Dec. 27, 1944) Click image to read more...

The Setzer Paper

My research received a huge boost when I came across a paper written by Daniel Setzer, titled “Historical Sources for the Events in Joseph Heller’s Novel, Catch-22.” Click image to read more...

Catch-22’s Golden Anniversary

One item in the Catch-22 50th Anniversary Edition appendix was a portion of a large handwritten table Heller used to organize the novel. Down one side were the mission limit levels, down the other side was a timeline of the war, and each column represented one of the main characters. Click image to read more...

Lt. Fish’s WWII Diary

The leatherbound diary was tucked away alongside items collected by my grandparents over nearly a century, but my father recognized it immediately while cleaning out my grandparents house after their passing. During my youth, this was the diary my father suggested I compare to Joseph Heller’s classic novel Catch-22. Click image to read more...