Catch 22

Explosive, subversive, wild and funny, 50 years on the novel''s strength is undiminished. Reading Joseph Heller''s classic satire is nothing less than a rite of passage. Set in the closing months of World War II, this is the story of a bombardier named Yossarian who is frantic and furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. His real problem is not the enemy - it is his own army which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. If Yossarian makes any attempts to excuse himself from the perilous missions then he is caught in Catch-22: if he flies he is crazy, and doesn''t have to; but if he doesn''t want to he must be sane and has to. That''s some catch.A new edition of Heller''s classic novel which satirises the insanities of war, published to celebrate its 50th anniversary. One of the best novels ever written, it follows Yossarian, an American bombardier caught up in WWII, on an island off the coast of Italy. Based on Heller''s own experiences, its title has become part of the English language. ''"Catch-22" is the only war novel I''ve ever read that makes any sense'' Harper Lee.