TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of May 25, 1952

FictionNonfiction
WeekMonth
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1
1
THE CAINE MUTINY
Herman Wouk
Cover of THE CAINE MUTINY

THE CAINE MUTINY

by Herman Wouk · Doubleday

48 wks at #1 · 58 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 GOWN OF GLORY
Agnes Sligh Turnbull
Cover of THE GOWN OF GLORY

THE GOWN OF GLORY

by Agnes Sligh Turnbull · Houghton Mifflin

8 wks on list

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

5
THE CRUEL SEA
Nicholas Monsarrat
Cover of THE CRUEL SEA

THE CRUEL SEA

by Nicholas Monsarrat · Alfred A. Knopf

41 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.

7
4
S P Q R
Paul Hyde Bonner
9
1
THE SON OF ADAM WYNGATE
Mary O'Hara

THE SON OF ADAM WYNGATE

by Mary O'Hara · David McKay

5 wks on list

A clergyman deals with the public and private sides of being a preacher.

10
5
THE GOLDEN HAND
Edith Simon

THE GOLDEN HAND

by Edith Simon · Putnam

2 wks on list

A Cathedral is built in 14th-century England, in honor of a miracle.

11
5
THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE
Taylor Caldwell

THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE

by Taylor Caldwell · Crown Publishers. Inc

2 wks on list

Novel of America in 1970 when an enslaved and oppressed people finally rise against their masters, the ruling powers of a totalitarian state, whose origin is traced back to the New Deal of the 1930's.

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

8 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.

16
NEW
A STONE FOR DANNY FISHER
Harold Robbins
Cover of A STONE FOR DANNY FISHER

A STONE FOR DANNY FISHER

by Harold Robbins · Alfred A. Knopf

As a teenager, Danny Fisher had all he ever wanted -- a dog, a grown-up summer job, flirtatious relationships with older women -- and a talent for ruthless boxing that quickly made him a star in the amateur sporting world. But when Danny's family falls on hard times, moving from their comfortable home in Brooklyn to Manhattan's squalid Lower East Side, he is forced to leave his carefree childhood behind. Facing poverty and daily encounters with his violent, anti-Semitic neighbors, Danny must fight both inside and outside the ring just to survive. As his boxing becomes legendary in the city's seedy underworld, packed with wiseguys and loose women, everyone seems to want a hand in Danny's success. Robbins's colorful, fast-talking characters evoke the rough streets of Depression-era New York City. Ronnie, a prostitute ashamed of how far she's fallen and desperately in need of friendship; Sam, a slick bookie who wants to profit from Danny's boxing talent; and Nellie, a beautiful but lonely girl who refuses to believe Danny is beyond redemption -- each of whom has a different vision of Danny's future -- will help steer his rocky course. Gritty, compelling, and groundbreaking for its time, A Stone for Danny Fisher is a tale of ambition, hope, and violence set in a distinct and dangerous period of American history. A classic, sexy bestseller by Harold Robbins, reintroduced to a whole new generation of readers.

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