THE NAKED AND THE DEAD by Mailer, Norman - 1948

New York and Toronto: Rinehart and Company, Inc, 1948. Near fine in like dust jacket. First edition of Mailer's debut novel, the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling account of a platoon's struggles in the Pacific theater of the Second World War. "The first big book about World War Two," THE NAKED AND THE DEAD is a semi-autobiographical epic based on Norman Mailer's own service during the Philippines Campaign (Bear). On the heels of the great US push for pride and patriotism during World War II, Mailer's painting of "a pessimistic, bleak, and hopeless account of men defeated before they start" did not sit well with the military (Waldron). Military historian Charles B. MacDonald criticized the title in 1949, noting that "it is regrettable that Mr. Mailer has pictured his ideas with such effective writing, because they certainly speak no good for democracy as we have known it." But Mailer maintained that the story was ultimately one of hope, "a parable about the movement of man through history" (Waldron). 8.25'' x 5.5''. Original black cloth binding with white lettering to spine. Original color pictorial dust jacket, unclipped ($4.00), designed by Karov. 722 pages. Contemporary ownership inscription to front flyleaf, dated 5/8/48. Jacket beautiful, with only mild toning. Book with toning to rear flyleaf. Sharp and tight.