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The True Story of Catch 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller's 340th Bomb Group in World War II
After the publication of his bestselling novel Catch-22, Joseph Heller usually chose to deny that any of his richly drawn characters were based on his actual war mates. However, to those who served with Heller in the 340th Bomb Group the novel's characters were indeed recognizable - the hard-drinking, vengeful, and disillusioned Chief White Half Oat, young, sliced-in-half Kid Sampson, shrieking, frenzied Hungry Joe, Colonel Cathcart, General Dreedle, Yossarian and that capitalist supreme, Milo Minderbinder.
In this book, written and colorfully illustrated by the daughter of the 340th Bomb Group's commander, Colonel Willis Chapman, we finally encounter the real men and combat missions on which the novel was based. While Heller's fully developed characters stand solely, solidly and uniquely on their own merits, 'The True Story of Catch-22' proves that any resemblance to persons living or dead is, in fact, actual. This three-part book blends fact, fancy, and history with full-blown original illustrations and rare, previously unpublished photos of these daring USAAF flyers and their Corsican-based B-25 Mitchell medium bombers.
Along with descriptions of the 340th's real wartime events, the work includes twelve men of the Bomb Group relating twelve richly told tales of their own. Now all of the men upon whom Heller based his characters are gone. However, the last survivor, George L. Wells, was an extraordinary combat pilot who tied the record for the number of bombing missions flown in WWII with 102.
George, the model for Catch-22's Capt. Wren, is the common thread who weaves through this book, allowing the reader to truly feel the war and even thumb through George's well-worn mission book describing attacks on Axis ports, ships, bridges, and the notorious Brenner Pass.
In this book the reader will discover that truth is indeed as fascinating as fiction! Author Patricia Chapman Meder has been a professional artist in both fine and commercial art for the past 35 years, 13 of them in Europe. When Catch-22 was published it was quickly apparent that this book was based on the Bomb Group her father commanded in World War II. This true-life parallel book thus begged to be written. Pat Meder has also written a full-color companion work to "The True Story of Catch-22," containing her delightful original artwork and caricatures of the individuals, "The True Story of Catch-22 Illustrated."
REVIEWS --- Heller's satiric caricatures are here shown to have stemmed from patriotic, courageous, highly decorated airmen who daily performed heroic wartime feats against overwhelming obstacles. The log of George Wells (Captain Wren in Catch-22), who flew a record 102 missions in his B-25, is included in an appendix.
Library Journal..".uses rare and unpublished photos to bring our actual heroes to life through use of first person narrative...Fans of Catch-22 will enjoy the book. It makes good use of diaries, logs, and photos to bring the people to life."
"For those unfamiliar with Catch-22 the book will make you curious enough to pickup Heller's book..." Irish Defence Forces Veterans Association
In this book, written and colorfully illustrated by the daughter of the 340th Bomb Group's commander, Colonel Willis Chapman, we finally encounter the real men and combat missions on which the novel was based. While Heller's fully developed characters stand solely, solidly and uniquely on their own merits, 'The True Story of Catch-22' proves that any resemblance to persons living or dead is, in fact, actual. This three-part book blends fact, fancy, and history with full-blown original illustrations and rare, previously unpublished photos of these daring USAAF flyers and their Corsican-based B-25 Mitchell medium bombers.
Along with descriptions of the 340th's real wartime events, the work includes twelve men of the Bomb Group relating twelve richly told tales of their own. Now all of the men upon whom Heller based his characters are gone. However, the last survivor, George L. Wells, was an extraordinary combat pilot who tied the record for the number of bombing missions flown in WWII with 102.
George, the model for Catch-22's Capt. Wren, is the common thread who weaves through this book, allowing the reader to truly feel the war and even thumb through George's well-worn mission book describing attacks on Axis ports, ships, bridges, and the notorious Brenner Pass.
In this book the reader will discover that truth is indeed as fascinating as fiction! Author Patricia Chapman Meder has been a professional artist in both fine and commercial art for the past 35 years, 13 of them in Europe. When Catch-22 was published it was quickly apparent that this book was based on the Bomb Group her father commanded in World War II. This true-life parallel book thus begged to be written. Pat Meder has also written a full-color companion work to "The True Story of Catch-22," containing her delightful original artwork and caricatures of the individuals, "The True Story of Catch-22 Illustrated."
REVIEWS --- Heller's satiric caricatures are here shown to have stemmed from patriotic, courageous, highly decorated airmen who daily performed heroic wartime feats against overwhelming obstacles. The log of George Wells (Captain Wren in Catch-22), who flew a record 102 missions in his B-25, is included in an appendix.
Library Journal..".uses rare and unpublished photos to bring our actual heroes to life through use of first person narrative...Fans of Catch-22 will enjoy the book. It makes good use of diaries, logs, and photos to bring the people to life."
"For those unfamiliar with Catch-22 the book will make you curious enough to pickup Heller's book..." Irish Defence Forces Veterans Association
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
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109 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 28, 2017
Catch-22 is my all time favorite book. So when I learned about The Bridgebusters: The True Story of the Catch-22 Bomb Wing, it immediately shot to the top of my Goodreads "Want to Read" list. It has everything to make it a perfect read for me: airplanes, history and Heller. Then I found out about The True Story of Catch 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller's 340th Bomb Group in World War II, written by the daughter of the real Colonel Cathcart, so I daisy-chained right into what turned out to be the Yin for Cleaver's Yang.
The Bridgebusters is a history book of the 57th Bomb Wing in which Joseph Heller served as a bombardier on a B-25 during World War II. Cleaver details the missions primarily in the context of the Allied campaign to liberate Italy which, frankly, I am less familiar with than Operation Overlord and the action of the Eighth Air Force's B-17s bombing Germany from England. Heller is shown as the cog he was in the U.S. fighting machine that defeated the Nazis and Cleaver puts forth an interesting theory of the author's true relationship to Yossarian.
The True Story of Catch-22 is less a history book and more a collection of personal memoirs of the men of Heller's 488th squadron. As the daughter of the unit's commanding officer, Meder has a direct and much more personal relationship with the subject and her focus is mapping the novel's characters to real men fighting a real war, which is a much different story than Bridgebusters, but an equally interesting one, especially with all of the pictures she pulled out of her father's attic
Now that I've read "the rest of the story," as Paul Harvey was fond of saying, I'm re-reading Catch-22. On a personal note, having attempted a satirical novel (In the Black: 1965-1969) based on personal experiences and inspired by Heller's masterpiece, these books were a fascinating study in the tangled web of fact and fiction for me.
The Bridgebusters is a history book of the 57th Bomb Wing in which Joseph Heller served as a bombardier on a B-25 during World War II. Cleaver details the missions primarily in the context of the Allied campaign to liberate Italy which, frankly, I am less familiar with than Operation Overlord and the action of the Eighth Air Force's B-17s bombing Germany from England. Heller is shown as the cog he was in the U.S. fighting machine that defeated the Nazis and Cleaver puts forth an interesting theory of the author's true relationship to Yossarian.
The True Story of Catch-22 is less a history book and more a collection of personal memoirs of the men of Heller's 488th squadron. As the daughter of the unit's commanding officer, Meder has a direct and much more personal relationship with the subject and her focus is mapping the novel's characters to real men fighting a real war, which is a much different story than Bridgebusters, but an equally interesting one, especially with all of the pictures she pulled out of her father's attic
Now that I've read "the rest of the story," as Paul Harvey was fond of saying, I'm re-reading Catch-22. On a personal note, having attempted a satirical novel (In the Black: 1965-1969) based on personal experiences and inspired by Heller's masterpiece, these books were a fascinating study in the tangled web of fact and fiction for me.
October 1, 2020
When I was sixteen my English teacher gave us an alphabetical list of classic books to choose from. We were supposed to read one each semester. Being a huge fan of lists and books, this was great for me and I decided to start with A and read the first book under each letter. I remember I read All Quiet on the Western Front for A and Catch-22 was the first book under C. (I can't remember what "B" was.)
To quote from Catch-22, it was love at first sight.
Since that time, I've pretty much always been reading Catch-22. I've lost track of how many times I've finished it. I love the humor, the feeling, the message. I love Yossarian. It is an absolutely brilliant masterpiece to me.
I did learn early on, though, that it was not a book for everyone. Especially in a conservative, religious community. Which is fine. I just stopped recommending it to people. (Luckily I have one friend who loves it as much as I do, so we can gab about it.)
One of my friends, knowing my mad love affair with the novel, got me this book as a pressie. (I have awesome friends.) I finally got around to reading it! (I have very large stacks of books, so it sometimes takes me awhile.)
I think what I loved most about this book was that it was a labor of love. The author is the daughter of one of the original soldiers, and I think more than relating this to Catch-22, she wanted to tell her father's story and write a book for him. I love that so much. It's important to tell our family stories, and there are not many of "the greatest generation" left.
If I'm being honest, my favorite parts of this book were the quotes from Catch-22. :D (What can I say, I'm obsessed.) I also liked the section where she did a brief description, including a photo, of the real people the characters in the book were based on. This was toward the middle of the book and I thought it would've been better at the beginning. She also had soldiers tell their stories in their own words, which was fascinating. Some were easier to read than others. I'm afraid I glazed over a bit when they were going on and on about all the plane controls. I also really appreciated the diagrams and photos of the bomber planes. It helped with my visualization quite a bit.
Thank you Kristi for knowing me so well and for this lovely pressie!
To quote from Catch-22, it was love at first sight.
Since that time, I've pretty much always been reading Catch-22. I've lost track of how many times I've finished it. I love the humor, the feeling, the message. I love Yossarian. It is an absolutely brilliant masterpiece to me.
I did learn early on, though, that it was not a book for everyone. Especially in a conservative, religious community. Which is fine. I just stopped recommending it to people. (Luckily I have one friend who loves it as much as I do, so we can gab about it.)
One of my friends, knowing my mad love affair with the novel, got me this book as a pressie. (I have awesome friends.) I finally got around to reading it! (I have very large stacks of books, so it sometimes takes me awhile.)
I think what I loved most about this book was that it was a labor of love. The author is the daughter of one of the original soldiers, and I think more than relating this to Catch-22, she wanted to tell her father's story and write a book for him. I love that so much. It's important to tell our family stories, and there are not many of "the greatest generation" left.
If I'm being honest, my favorite parts of this book were the quotes from Catch-22. :D (What can I say, I'm obsessed.) I also liked the section where she did a brief description, including a photo, of the real people the characters in the book were based on. This was toward the middle of the book and I thought it would've been better at the beginning. She also had soldiers tell their stories in their own words, which was fascinating. Some were easier to read than others. I'm afraid I glazed over a bit when they were going on and on about all the plane controls. I also really appreciated the diagrams and photos of the bomber planes. It helped with my visualization quite a bit.
Thank you Kristi for knowing me so well and for this lovely pressie!
April 26, 2018
As neither a war buff or a relative of the participants, this book appealed to me only for background of the group and on the real people who Joseph Heller transformed into characters.
Heller joined the bomb group on the Italian island of Corsica as a nineteen year old. Nine years later, he began writing the story.
In his book, Heller becomes John Yossarian, an Assyrian, who embodied Heller’s thoughts, mannerisms and creativity. They shared a devil-may-care attitude and a logical outlook as well as an irreverent and quirky sense of humor.
This book also described flak, which comes from the name of a German anti-aircraft canon that fired twenty-pound shells. The crew aimed it at aircraft flying two hundred miles an hour at an altitude of one or two miles. The gun fired ahead of the formation so that the rockets exploded when the planes approached that spot, exploding hundreds of iron shards in all directions.
(On his fifteenth mission, Dad’s B-17 took flak, crippling it and forcing it to land in Switzerland, which interned him and the crew for the remainder of the war. Although he served as a navigator during the same period that Heller served as bombardier, Dad flew from a base on the other side of Italy.)
Heller joined the bomb group on the Italian island of Corsica as a nineteen year old. Nine years later, he began writing the story.
In his book, Heller becomes John Yossarian, an Assyrian, who embodied Heller’s thoughts, mannerisms and creativity. They shared a devil-may-care attitude and a logical outlook as well as an irreverent and quirky sense of humor.
This book also described flak, which comes from the name of a German anti-aircraft canon that fired twenty-pound shells. The crew aimed it at aircraft flying two hundred miles an hour at an altitude of one or two miles. The gun fired ahead of the formation so that the rockets exploded when the planes approached that spot, exploding hundreds of iron shards in all directions.
(On his fifteenth mission, Dad’s B-17 took flak, crippling it and forcing it to land in Switzerland, which interned him and the crew for the remainder of the war. Although he served as a navigator during the same period that Heller served as bombardier, Dad flew from a base on the other side of Italy.)
September 15, 2022
Interesting history and biography of men who served with Joseph Heller in WWII, including chapters on which characters were based on which real people. By the time the author wrote this book, many of the WWII vets he served with had passed away so there is information from children and relatives too. One man who was still alive kept a detailed diary of the bombing missions he went on, and many details match missions Heller wrote about in Catch-22. Lots here if you want to do a deep dive on the characters in the book and their inspirations. I did not read straight through but skimmed in anticipation of my book group reading Catch-22 for next month.
September 3, 2022
Catch-22 is one of my favorite books of all time. I had a hard time following and understanding some of the things I was reading. About a 1/3 of the book had excerpts from the book which is cool to read and was useful at time.
June 30, 2025
Overall a very easy read and super informative about the men who inspired Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. There were lots of photos and diagrams throughout to provide some much needed visualization. I especially loved the first hand stories from the veterans. A must read for any fan of Catch-22.
November 16, 2022
Excellent companion book
This book is well researched and is a must read partner to Catch-22. The photos and primary sources make this book a must read.
This book is well researched and is a must read partner to Catch-22. The photos and primary sources make this book a must read.
July 20, 2017
The author's personal attachment and passion for the subject overcome somewhat disjointed repetition and what I would consider to be poor editing. Nevertheless, a great companion book to Heller's novel.
Those unfamiliar with the book who are B25 fans and those interested in the air war in Italy will find it informative.
Clearly a labor of love.
Those unfamiliar with the book who are B25 fans and those interested in the air war in Italy will find it informative.
Clearly a labor of love.
July 19, 2015
This book is a good companion to Catch-22. Written by the daughter of Colonel Chapman, on whom Col. Cathcart was based, it provides the history of the 340th Bomb Group in which Joseph Heller was a bombardier during WWII. The last living member, George Wells, provided his memories, insights, and mission log, in addition to many other research materials.
The writing is not that of a professional writer - the metaphors are often lugubrious and the text is repetitive - but she is passionate about her topic and it is fascinating. Part I details four of the central characters; part II depicts as many of the members of the bomb group as Chapman Meder could trace, replete with photos and their own perspectives; part III includes 12 true short stories from the bomb group.
Here's the breakdown of who was who:
- Yossarian was how Joseph Heller wished he could have acted. The name came from a colleague Yohannan, who was Syrian.
- General Dreedle - General Robert D. Knapp (who lived down the street from the Wright brothers in Alabama and flew from the 1910's)
- Colonel Cathcart - Colonel Willis F. Chapman (Mt. Vesuvius blew soon after he took over the 340th; the eruption destroyed all their planes. He relocated them to Corsica, got new planes with more accurate sighting technology, and devised many training maneuvers to make the "Unlucky 340th" the most accurate bomb group in the Air Force)
- Chaplain Tappman - Chaplain James H. Cooper
- Doc Daneeka - Captain Benjamin J. Marino
- Captain Pilchard - Captain Fred W. Dyer (who tied with George Wells for the most missions flown during WWII - 102)
- Major Danby - Major Joseph Ruebel
- Chief White Halfoat/Havermyer - Captain Vincent Myers (known as chief, one of the best bombardiers)
- Captain Wren - Captain George L. Wells (who flew 102 missions, and seems to have been fairly fearless)
- Major __de Coverly - Major Charles J. Cover (among the older members of the group, he was something of a father figure. He did go ahead of the group into newly captured territories and secure lodgings and supplies for the officers and enlisted men)
- Hungry Joe - Joseph Chrenco, pilot
- Major Major Major Major - Major Major
- Milo Minderbinder - Benjamin Kanowski (pilot, mess officer)
- Soldier in white - those killed in the war
- Douglas Orr - Douglas Orr (bombardier and navigator) and Edward Ritter (pilot)
- Luciana - girl Heller met in Rome
- Kid Sampson - Bill Simpson (pilot)
- Colonel Moodus - Lt. Robert Knapp, Jr (Gen Knapp's son)
- The Dead Man in Yossarian's tent - the belongings of a solider killed before his orders arrived that remained in Heller's tent for months until red tape cleared them to return to the U.S.
The B-25 was tight, and the nose in which the bombardiers crouched was plexiglass. It was too small to take their parachutes. And it was largely freezing cold (Col. Chapman arranged for space heaters later in the war).
Mostly, reading this book made me want to reread Catch-22 with a more adult wisdom and empathy for what Heller went through.
The writing is not that of a professional writer - the metaphors are often lugubrious and the text is repetitive - but she is passionate about her topic and it is fascinating. Part I details four of the central characters; part II depicts as many of the members of the bomb group as Chapman Meder could trace, replete with photos and their own perspectives; part III includes 12 true short stories from the bomb group.
Here's the breakdown of who was who:
- Yossarian was how Joseph Heller wished he could have acted. The name came from a colleague Yohannan, who was Syrian.
- General Dreedle - General Robert D. Knapp (who lived down the street from the Wright brothers in Alabama and flew from the 1910's)
- Colonel Cathcart - Colonel Willis F. Chapman (Mt. Vesuvius blew soon after he took over the 340th; the eruption destroyed all their planes. He relocated them to Corsica, got new planes with more accurate sighting technology, and devised many training maneuvers to make the "Unlucky 340th" the most accurate bomb group in the Air Force)
- Chaplain Tappman - Chaplain James H. Cooper
- Doc Daneeka - Captain Benjamin J. Marino
- Captain Pilchard - Captain Fred W. Dyer (who tied with George Wells for the most missions flown during WWII - 102)
- Major Danby - Major Joseph Ruebel
- Chief White Halfoat/Havermyer - Captain Vincent Myers (known as chief, one of the best bombardiers)
- Captain Wren - Captain George L. Wells (who flew 102 missions, and seems to have been fairly fearless)
- Major __de Coverly - Major Charles J. Cover (among the older members of the group, he was something of a father figure. He did go ahead of the group into newly captured territories and secure lodgings and supplies for the officers and enlisted men)
- Hungry Joe - Joseph Chrenco, pilot
- Major Major Major Major - Major Major
- Milo Minderbinder - Benjamin Kanowski (pilot, mess officer)
- Soldier in white - those killed in the war
- Douglas Orr - Douglas Orr (bombardier and navigator) and Edward Ritter (pilot)
- Luciana - girl Heller met in Rome
- Kid Sampson - Bill Simpson (pilot)
- Colonel Moodus - Lt. Robert Knapp, Jr (Gen Knapp's son)
- The Dead Man in Yossarian's tent - the belongings of a solider killed before his orders arrived that remained in Heller's tent for months until red tape cleared them to return to the U.S.
The B-25 was tight, and the nose in which the bombardiers crouched was plexiglass. It was too small to take their parachutes. And it was largely freezing cold (Col. Chapman arranged for space heaters later in the war).
Mostly, reading this book made me want to reread Catch-22 with a more adult wisdom and empathy for what Heller went through.
February 27, 2015
An above average compare/contrast of Joseph Heller's characters in his work of fiction and the men that served as models for those characters. I find it interesting that some say Heller blindsided his models. I think that, at some level, they were happy with their fame. Reaching mid-life, with fame of their WWII efforts dwindling, and Heller puts them in the spot light. They may not of liked that Heller wrote a sarcastic, anti-war piece, and included them or caricatures of them but not blindsided.
Technically, the author should have verified descriptive facts regarding the aircraft, North American's B-25 "Mitchell". It is after all, a primary character in both books. Keys are not used in military aircraft as part of the start sequence. Can you imagine a cockpit crew looking at each other asking, "OK, who has the keys?" Yes, the ground crew would "pull" or rotate the engines by moving the propellers through their normal rotation. That movement was to move oil from bottom cylinders of the engine. This is a prestart process not part of the start sequence. (p113)
Yes, there are two pedals on the floor; two, that is, in front of each pilot, and they are not the accelerator and brake. Input to one the three flight controls through these pedals provide pilots the ability to control the rudder(s). Wheel brakes, located only on main landing gear, are also controlled by application of toe pressure to the top of the rudder pedals. (p113)
There are other misstatements regarding the airplane. Are these errors in fact any more than mere distractions to those who know the facts? Are they even worthy of discussion to others unaware of aircraft systems? Do these errors indicate there are or may be other errors in fact?
I very much liked the stories shared by various members of the 340BG. Their glimpses into life in the MTO made the book for me.
Technically, the author should have verified descriptive facts regarding the aircraft, North American's B-25 "Mitchell". It is after all, a primary character in both books. Keys are not used in military aircraft as part of the start sequence. Can you imagine a cockpit crew looking at each other asking, "OK, who has the keys?" Yes, the ground crew would "pull" or rotate the engines by moving the propellers through their normal rotation. That movement was to move oil from bottom cylinders of the engine. This is a prestart process not part of the start sequence. (p113)
Yes, there are two pedals on the floor; two, that is, in front of each pilot, and they are not the accelerator and brake. Input to one the three flight controls through these pedals provide pilots the ability to control the rudder(s). Wheel brakes, located only on main landing gear, are also controlled by application of toe pressure to the top of the rudder pedals. (p113)
There are other misstatements regarding the airplane. Are these errors in fact any more than mere distractions to those who know the facts? Are they even worthy of discussion to others unaware of aircraft systems? Do these errors indicate there are or may be other errors in fact?
I very much liked the stories shared by various members of the 340BG. Their glimpses into life in the MTO made the book for me.
December 31, 2013
Did Joseph Heller commit a disservice to the members of the 340th Bomb Group when he wrote Catch-22? Did author Patricia Chapman Meder write an apologetic defending the real four officers some feel Joesph Heller blindsided when he made them into Catch-22's four heavy hitters?
"The True Story of Catch - 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller's 340th Bomb Group in World War II" is a combination of both plus I feel some admiration for Joseph Heller making those men infamous.
There is a reason the original Catch-22 is found in the fiction not nonfiction section of bookstores. Joseph Heller didn't write a memoir of his service during World War II. He wrote a satirical and somewhat historical novel.
Patricia Chapman Meder uses rare and unpublished photos to bring our actual heroes to life through use of first person narrative.
There is a third part in her book that is actually the book's heart. She takes twelve men of the 340th and relates twelve true tales.
Fans of Catch-22 will enjoy the book. It makes good use of diaries, logs, and photos to bring the people to life. For those unfamiliar with Catch-22 the book will make you curious enough to pickup Heller's book.
"The True Story of Catch - 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller's 340th Bomb Group in World War II" would make a nice companion volume or commentary for the serious student of the original work. It would make a nice inclusion in university or community libraries as a resource for Joseph Heller's book.
I recommend "The True Story of Catch - 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller's 340th Bomb Group in World War II" by Patricia Chapman Meder. The publisher is Casemate Publishing.
"The True Story of Catch - 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller's 340th Bomb Group in World War II" is a combination of both plus I feel some admiration for Joseph Heller making those men infamous.
There is a reason the original Catch-22 is found in the fiction not nonfiction section of bookstores. Joseph Heller didn't write a memoir of his service during World War II. He wrote a satirical and somewhat historical novel.
Patricia Chapman Meder uses rare and unpublished photos to bring our actual heroes to life through use of first person narrative.
There is a third part in her book that is actually the book's heart. She takes twelve men of the 340th and relates twelve true tales.
Fans of Catch-22 will enjoy the book. It makes good use of diaries, logs, and photos to bring the people to life. For those unfamiliar with Catch-22 the book will make you curious enough to pickup Heller's book.
"The True Story of Catch - 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller's 340th Bomb Group in World War II" would make a nice companion volume or commentary for the serious student of the original work. It would make a nice inclusion in university or community libraries as a resource for Joseph Heller's book.
I recommend "The True Story of Catch - 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller's 340th Bomb Group in World War II" by Patricia Chapman Meder. The publisher is Casemate Publishing.
June 2, 2019
As a fan of Catch-22 and avid WWII reader, I enjoyed Patricia Chapman Meder's story of 340th Bomb Group that Joseph Heller served in. This story has a personal meaning to Ms. Meder as she is the daughter of Colonel Chapman (Col. Cathcart), the 340th Commander. Ms. Meder does a good job of describing the real people that Joseph Heller drew from to create his characters in Catch-22. The 340th Bomb Group was actually the top precision B-25 Bomb Group during WWII. They earned nickname the Bridge Busters from their ability to knock out bridges.
February 14, 2019
This is a must-read for Catch-22 fans. It's fascinating to discover the real people and their wartime actions that Heller quite overtly based his novel on (e.g. the real Major Major turning into Major Major Major Major). The fact of the author being the daughter of the book's much-pilloried Col. Cathcart makes it all the more piquant.
March 4, 2018
For die-hard "Catch-22" fans only...stories of and about Joe Heller's real-life WWII company-mates.
December 11, 2023
Short, well-written book about the men in Joseph Heller's Bomb-group in WW II. Gives you the real people that Heller used to write his famous novel.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews