Not many writers introduce a phrase – let alone a whole idea – into the language. In Catch-22, Joseph Heller invented a motif for the modern world. The book shaped everything that came after it, establishing Heller's reputation as one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century. But where did the author who was able to create that novel come from? And what happened to those remarkable characters? In Catch as Catch Can, Joseph Heller’s stories are collected for the first time, and clearly chart the development of a genius. From Heller's recollections of his Coney Island childhood to the later stories of his greatest creation, Yossarian, Catch as Catch Can is the last great work of one of the twentieth century's most important literary figures.