The Bridges at Toko-Ri.

New York: Random House,, 1953. Inscribed on the day of publication to the "First Lady of Television" First edition, first printing, presentation copy, inscribed by the author on half-title: "N.B.C. New York, N.Y., July 9, 1953, To Lovely Faye Emerson, on publication day of this modern novel. With appreciation. Jim Michener". As claimed by the dust jacket blurb, "here is a novel that will be called, and with justice, one of the masterpieces of war literature". Faye Emerson (1917-1983), the US film and stage actress, also hosted The Faye Emerson Show during the 1950s, when she was called the "First Lady of Television". Television listings in the New York Times for 9 July 1953 reveal that the evening saw both Faye Emerson broadcast on "Fashions and Interviews" and Michener appear on a programme named Author Meets the Critics. Set during the Korean War, and based on actual missions flown against railroad bridges in North Korea, the novel is about an operation undertaken by United States Navy pilots to destroy heavily protected bridges in enemy territory. The novel was the basis for a film of the same name, starring William Holden, Grace Kelly, and Mickey Rooney, released the following year. Octavo. Original dark and light blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt and silver, blue endpapers. With dust jacket. Extremities slightly sunned, minor foxing to edges; extremities of unclipped jacket worn with some minor loss, occasional abrasions: a very good copy in like jacket.