M*A*S*H was a series of novels that inspired the M*A*S*H movie and TV series. A Novel About Three Army Doctors, written by Richard Hooker, himself a former military surgeon, was about a U.S. mobile army surgical hospital in Korea during the Korean War. It was originally published in 1968 after rejections by several publishers.

Many scenes from the original novel were adapted into the movie, notably the football game between the 4077th unit and a Seoul-based medical unit. Noted sports writer W.C. Heinz collaborated with Hooker on the chapter, including a favorite trick play of his as the game-winner. The chapter is also reprinted in a Heinz collection, "Once They Heard the Cheers."

Several sequels followed after the success of the TV series. William E. Butterworth (W.E.B. Griffin) is credited as co-author on most of the sequels, but may have actually ghostwritten them.

Beginning with M*A*S*H Goes to Paris, all the later novels (except for M*A*S*H Mania) largely left the original characters behind to focus on extraneous characters, mostly caricatures of public figures from the 1970s: for instance, operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti is parodied in the form of a singer named "Korsky-Rimsakov", and news anchor Dan Rather becomes the egotistical "Don Rhotten".

Series

• A Novel About Three Army Doctors (1968)
• M*A*S*H Goes to Maine (1972)
• M*A*S*H Goes to Paris (1974), with William E. Butterworth
• M*A*S*H Goes to New Orleans (1975), with William E. Butterworth
• M*A*S*H Goes to London (1975), with William E. Butterworth
• M*A*S*H Goes to Vienna (1976), with William E. Butterworth
• M*A*S*H Goes to San Francisco (1976), with William E. Butterworth
• M*A*S*H Goes to Morocco (1976), with William E. Butterworth
• M*A*S*H Goes to Miami (1976), with William E. Butterworth
• M*A*S*H Goes to Las Vegas (1976), with William E. Butterworth
• M*A*S*H Goes to Hollywood (1976), with William E. Butterworth
• M*A*S*H Mania (1977)
• M*A*S*H Goes to Texas (1977), with William E. Butterworth
• M*A*S*H Goes to Moscow (1977), with William E. Butterworth
• M*A*S*H Goes to Montreal (1977), with William E. Butterworth

1968 novels | M*A*S*H | Black comedy books

MASH | MASH | M*A*S*H (roman)