1923- . US novelist. He drew on his
experiences in the US airforce in World War
II to write Catch-22 1961, satirizing war and
bureaucratic methods. A film based on the
book appeared in 1970. After serving in the
air force, he entered advertising. His other
works include the novels Something Happened
1974 and Good As Gold 1979, and the plays We
Bombed In New Haven 1968 and Clevinger's
Trial 1974.