ONE TO COUNT CADENCE

New York: Random House, [1969]. First Edition and First Printing, A SIGNED COPY OF THE AUTHOR'S DEBUT NOVEL, his signature on the title-page in black pen. 8vo, publisher's original brown cloth, the spine lettered in silver, and in the original dustjacet. 338, [1] pp. A very fine copy, a very light touch of mellowing to the brown cloth as is common with this title due to the materials used in production, the jacket in very pleasing condition with just a touch of age evidence.. A SCARCE SIGNED COPY OF THE AUTHOR'S DEBUT NOVEL. ONE TO COUNT CADENCE was one of the most critically acclaimed debut novels of its time. It is also an early work on American involvement in Vietnam and the disillusionment caused by it. The story is set in the Philippines and Vietnam in a time when many Americans had not yet even heard of that small country.
"The time: late summer, 1962. The place: Clark Air Force Base, the Philippines. Sergeant Jacob "Slag" Krummel, a scholar by intent but a warrior by breeding, assumes command of the 721st Communication Security Deteachment, an unsoldierly crew of bored, rebellious, whoring, foul-mouthed, drunken enlistees. Surviving military absurdities reminiscent of those in Catch-22 only to be shipped clandestinely to Vietnam, Krummel's band confront their worst fears while finally losing faith in America and its myths." - Knopf.