Why England Slept.
KENNEDY, John F.
Why England Slept.
“A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on": First Edition of John F. Kennedy's Why England Slept; Finely Bound by The Harcourt Bindery
New York: Wilfred Funk, Inc, 1940.
$1,500.00
In Stock
Item Number: 152125
First edition of John F. Kennedy’s first book. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery with gilt titles and ruling to the spine in five compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt signature to the front panel, gilt inner dentelles stamp-signed by the Harcourt Bindery, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Founded over a century ago in 1900, the Harcourt Bindery is the oldest and largest traditional bindery in America exclusively devoted to fine traditional leather bookbinding by hand. Harcourt Bindery uses 22 karat genuine gold leaf, top grades of Nigerian moroccos, and hand marbled papers from craftsmen representing seven countries. In fine condition. Introduction by Henry R. Luce. An exceptional presentation.
Published the year Kennedy graduated from Harvard, Why England Slept was an expansion of his senior thesis. The title is a variation on the title of Winston Churchill’s work, While England Slept, published about two years before Kennedy’s. It was dedicated to John's parents, Rose and Joe Kennedy. In this work he attempts to explain why England was so poorly prepared for World War II and why England’s leaders settled upon the disastrous policies of appeasement. The book served as a warning to those in our country who felt that appeasing Hitler and staying out of the war was a viable option. It became a bestseller in the United States and went through several printings in its first year. (Newcomb, 10).
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