A customer asked me to find him a first edition of the novel   TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH.   A simple request.   I looked the book up on the listing services. To my surprise there was only one hardback available. It was in poor condition, missing its dust jacket, no indication of its edition, and it was priced at over $200.   The paperbacks sell for $50.   No first editions.

         Whoa!   What's going on here?   I did a little investigation. The book was published by Harper & Brothers in 1948. Then it was made into a major movie starring Gregory Peck produced by Twentieth Century Fox. Wikipedia says the film is now widely used in both the military and civilian worlds to teach the principles of leadership. It is required viewing at all the U.S. service academies, in college ROTC programs, Coast Guard Officer Candidate School, etc. These people might want to read the book - that would explain the continued demand.

          The book was then reprinted as a movie tie-in paperback by Bantam in 1949. It was produced as a television series airing on NBC for three seasons from September 1964 to 1967. It had other paperback editions by Ballantine in 1965 and 1969 and then by Dodd, Mead in 1975 and 1985. WorldCat says there were editions printed by Arno Press in 1980 and by Buckeye Aviation in 1989. It is now out of print.

          In the '40's when Harper published a book they would put the words "FIRST EDITION" on the copyright page followed by a two letter code such as "C-X" indicating the month and year of publication. "C-X" means March-1948. In later printings they would remove the words "FIRST EDITION".

          Since becoming interested in this book I have periodically checked back at the listing services and kept an eye on eBay. For two years. No first edition has appeared. Now I ask all of you out there on the 'net - does anyone have a first edition copy of this book? Ever seen one?   Send me an eMail: