TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of April 13, 1952

FictionNonfiction
WeekMonth
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2
THE CAINE MUTINY
Herman Wouk
Cover of THE CAINE MUTINY

THE CAINE MUTINY

by Herman Wouk · Doubleday

52 wks on list

Each decade new readers discover the characters and curious activities aboard the U.S.S. "Caine in this classic tale of pathos, humor, and scope.

3
THE CRUEL SEA
Nicholas Monsarrat
Cover of THE CRUEL SEA

THE CRUEL SEA

by Nicholas Monsarrat · Alfred A. Knopf

35 wks on list

Based on the author's own experiences, this book presents the story of the crew of HMS Compass Rose, a corvette assigned to protect convoys in World War Two. It offers descriptions of agonizing U-boat hunts. It tells of ordinary, heroic men who had to face a brutal menace which would strike without warning from the deep.

4
2
THE GOWN OF GLORY
Agnes Sligh Turnbull
Cover of THE GOWN OF GLORY

THE GOWN OF GLORY

by Agnes Sligh Turnbull · Houghton Mifflin

2 wks on list

Activities of the 25th year of a Presbyterian country preacher and his family.

7
1
THE END OF THE AFFAIR
Graham Greene
Cover of THE END OF THE AFFAIR

THE END OF THE AFFAIR

by Graham Greene · Viking Press

23 wks on list

Account of a hate bred of a passion that ultimately lost out to God.

11
NEW
S P Q R
Paul Hyde Bonner
13
1
HOLD BACK THE NIGHT
Pat Frank
Cover of HOLD BACK THE NIGHT

HOLD BACK THE NIGHT

by Pat Frank · J.B. Lippincott Company

2 wks on list

From the author of the classic Alas Babylon comes this riveting story of a Marine captain and his soldiers and their arduous, difficult retreat from Changjin Reservoir to Hungnam during the Korean War—a stirring portrait of courage and sacrifice, now back in print. “These are not stragglers, sir. This is Dog Company…” In Pat Frank’s classic 1951 war novel, one-hundred-twenty-six soldiers commence their long, harrowing journey at Changjin Reservoir during the height of the Korean War, but few will survive the grueling fight and eventually reach Hungnam. Vividly bringing to life the bravery, daring, and turmoil a unit of soldiers endures, Hold Back the Night reveals their gripping stories… Captain Mackenzie, commander of Dog Company, not only bears the responsibility for victory or defeat, but also feels the full weight of the emotional toll that the war inevitably takes on him and his troops. His one consolation to inspire his band of soldiers to keep on going is an unopened bottle of Scotch that holds bittersweet memories of his wife who gave it to him as a gift. Sergeant Ekland, a cocky, determined communications sergeant, is due for a battlefield promotion and longs for the day his tour is over so he can be reunited with his fiancée—that is if he makes it out of Korea alive. Private Couzens, finds himself in a precarious situation with the enemy due to circumstances out of his control—a situation that causes his loyalties to come into question with his superiors. As readers follow the lives of these men and the other unforgettable soldiers, Pat Frank’s epic novel of war, loss, and survival recounts a crucial chapter in American history.

14
NEW
THE GROVES OF ACADEME
Mary McCarthy
Cover of THE GROVES OF ACADEME

THE GROVES OF ACADEME

by Mary McCarthy · Harcourt, Brace

1 wks on list

Henry Mulcahy, a literature instructor at progressive Jocelyn College, is informed that his appointment will not be continued. Convinced he is disliked by the president of Jocelyn because of his abilities as a teacher and his independence of mass opinion, Mulcahy believes he is being made the victim of a witch-hunt. Plotting vengeance, Mulcahy battles to fight for justice and, in the process, reveals his true ethical nature.

Historical bestseller data sourced from the New York Times Book Review, archived by Hawes Publications.