118 résultats
1953réf. 277478Williamsburg Virginia: The College of William and Mary 1953. Hardcover. Fine. First edition. A neat bookplate on the front pastedown fine in gray cloth gilt in a lightly rubbed fine original marbled papercovered slipcase the whole housed in a newer quarter leather custom slipcase. Included is the speech of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower has Signed his address at page 58 and additionally affixed to the rear endpaper is an original photograph of Eisenhower at the ceremony. Ike had been U.S. President for only four months when the ceremony took place. Very nicely printed at the William Byrd Press. The College of William and Mary hardcover books
réf. 308161/3/52. Justice Owen J. Roberts resigned from the Supreme Court to advocate for a Federal Union of democracies and to unite one group favoring world government and the other favoring Union of the Democracies From 1951-52 Eisenhower was the Allied Supreme Commander in Europe which title included the post of head of NATO. In 1952 Turkey joined NATO and Ike traveled to Ankara Turkey to seal with his presence the membership of Turkey in Europe. Justice Owen J. Roberts resigned from the Supreme Court in 1945 and was afterwards instrumental in forming the Atlantic Union which would advocate for a Federal Union of Democracies but with a gradual approach to final world union by way of regional unions. Two million people signed a petition that the U.S. and Great Britain unify others wanted to start with the U.S. and Canada. Roberts said that although he approved of NATO he thought it was a fine tradition but could not prevent war and that permanent peace required a federation of likeminded peoples. Nor could the UN be relied upon with the power the Soviets had in that body. In 1952 a new group was formed whose members agreed with Roberts’ views the Atlantic Citizens Congress whose members were drawn partly from the Atlantic Union Committee and partly from outside. Typed letter signed on his letterhead Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe 1 March 1952 to Justice Owen J. Roberts saying he is departing for Turkey and that he is grateful for receiving information on the new Atlantic Citizens organization. “Dear Mr. Justice: Although my schedule is extremely rushed by last minute preparations before departing on a trip to the Mediterranean area I want you to know of my appreciation of your furnishing me a copy of Atlantic Citizens Congress. I am having it placed aboard the airplane with the hope that the long journey to Ankara on Monday will permit me an opportunity to read the booklet thoroughly. Please convey my gratitude to your distinguished associates for the compliment implicit in their request for my views on this project.” Eight months later Eisenhower is elected President of the United States. <img class=""alignnone size-post-window wp-image-25018"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204144051/Folder-site-11-1600x1327.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""1327"" /> unknown books
1401réf. 3045914/01/1953. “Since November 4th my thoughts have turned often to those whose faith and support - and financial contributions - helped to make victory possible. In the task of bringing the message of our Crusade to all of our follow Americans we would have failed without their much-needed help.” The 1952 United States presidential election was held on Tuesday November 4 1952. Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower won a landslide victory over Illinois Democratic Governor Adlai Stevenson becoming the first Republican president in 20 years. This was the first election since 1928 without an incumbent president on the ballot. Eisenhower was re-elected in 1956 in a rematch with Stevenson. The 1952 presidential election campaign was conducted against the backdrop of a “red scare” in which many Americans feared that foreign communist agents were attempting to infiltrate the government. Two years earlier Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy who held that the Roosevelt and Truman administrations amounted to “20 years of treason” claimed that he had a list of State Department employees who were loyal only to the Soviet Union. Though McCarthy offered no evidence to support his charges and revealed only a single name he won a large personal following. The Red Scare the stalemated Korean War and a renewal of inflation handicapped Stevenson who fought a vigorous campaign. Eisenhower campaigned tirelessly impressing millions with his warmth and sincerity. His wide friendly grin wartime heroics and middle-class pastimes—he was an avid golfer endeared him to the public and garnered him vast support. On the eve of the election there was a general opinion that the presidential race was close. The final tally however was anything but. Eisenhower won by more than six million votes capturing 39 states and 442 electoral votes to Stevenson’s 9 states and 89 electoral votes. The election was considered a great personal triumph for Eisenhower. In the wake of the election Eisenhower thanked his major contributors for their financial support which had enabled him to bring his message to the American people. Typed letter signed on his letterhead New York January 14 1953 to Hugh Moore president of the Dixie Cup Company and a supporter of his. “Dear Mr. Moore: To the thanks you have undoubtedly already received for your generous contribution during the campaign I wish to add my own. “Since November 4th my thoughts have turned often to those whose faith and support - and financial contributions - helped to make victory possible. In the task of bringing the message of our Crusade to all of our fellow Americans we would have failed without their much-needed help. That is why I am particularly glad of this opportunity to express my gratitude to you and to ask for your continued support.” It is interesting that Eisenhower saw his election as a crusade and his views as carrying a message. <img class=""alignnone size-post-window wp-image-25018"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204144051/Folder-site-11-1600x1327.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""1327"" /> unknown books
1953réf. 425891New London Connecticut: General Dynamics Electric Boat 1953. Unbound. Near Fine. A collection of 50 black and white press photographs of the U.S.S. Nautilus measuring 8" x 10". Additionally included are a newspaper clipping and two programs discussing the ship. All items near fine with some edgewear. An archive of photographs and programs following the construction and later christening of the U.S.S. Nautilus the first nuclear powered submarine. The photographs are part of the public relations branch of General Dynamics Corporation's Electric Boat Division which was responsible for constructing the ship. A brochure from 1952 when construction began is entitled "The Beginning of an Era" and according to a printed note from the Chairman was "prepared to commemorate an occasion significant in history - the first application of atomic power to propulsion - in a submarine now to help preserve the peace." It continues "I am sure you share my pride that the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation was selected for this most important undertaking and I hope that you will find interest and pleasure in this brochure as a memento of the keel laying." The earliest photographs depict the keeling process and early construction including a photo of President Truman from the keel laying ceremony. In 1954 when the submarine was completed the christening ceremony was conducted by Mamie Eisenhower. A program from this ceremony is also featured here along with professional photographs from the event. The introduction of the program reads "January 21 1954 lives in history as the launching day of the world's first atomic powered vessel the submarine "Nautilus.'" It continues "we are particularly honored to have as our sponsor the First Lady of the Land Mrs. Dwight David Eisenhower." The photos show Mamie arriving by train the crowds surrounding the submarine and Mamie holding a bottle of champagne for the christening. One of these photos shows Mamie in a fur coat with the president of the Electric Boat Division showing her where to break the champagne bottle. Other images show the launched submarine departing the dock and Mamie touching the hands of people in the crowd and handing roses to children. The use of nuclear propulsion allowed the vessel to stay submerged longer and thus it was able to travel to places "previously beyond the limits of submarines." In August of 1958 it was the first vessel to complete a "submerged transit of the North Pole." According to the National Park Service "Nautilus was decommissioned in 1980 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1982." An interesting collection detailing the early days of the first atomic powered submarine. General Dynamics Electric Boat unknown books
1948réf. 13691CRUSADE IN EUROPE Doubleday 1948 first edition t.p.e.'s in gold-gilt fore edge and bottom edge uncut fine in original acetate dust-wrapper in vg slip-case. One of 1426 copies specially bound and SIGNED by the author. Illustrated. Doubleday unknown books
1945réf. 2570830/10/1945. During World War II Ike received requests for him to send one of his sleeve patches as a souvenir. He never seems to have had one on hand but instead sent a printed color facsimile patch with a description of its meaning below the image and which he signed above the description. The description makes clear that the sword on the insignia “represents avenging justice by which the enemy power will be broken in Nazi-dominated Europe”. The black background represents Nazi oppression and the rainbow above is emblematic of hope. Miss Martha Wiedermann was one of those who wrote asking for a patch. Eisenhower responded by sending her this printed color facsimile patch signed above the description. The envelope is still present postmarked October 30 1945 just after hostilities ceased. Affixed to a light board. This is just the second Eisenhower sleeve patch we have carried in all these years. The other Ike had sent to his brother. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-24670 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204145810/Folder-site-9-1600x1327.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""1327"" /> unknown books
réf. 141596/1/46. Dwight D. Eisenhower became a member of the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America in 1948 but had been a staunch supporter of Scouting ever since his son was a Scout in the 1930s. He would say that “The Boy Scout movement merits the unstinted support of every American who wants to make his country and his world a better place in which to live. Its emphasis on community service and tolerance and world friendship promotes a speedier attainment of the enduring peace among men for which we all strive. By developing among its members both a spirit of sturdiness self-reliance and a realization of the need for cooperative effort in every major enterprise the movement is a prime force in preparing tomorrow’s men for their duty to themselves their country and their world.” Charles D. Hart was a Philadelphia physician best known for the important contributions he made to the Boy Scouts over the course of four decades. In 1946 Hart was Honorary President of the Philadelphia Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Typed letter signed on his War Department Chief of Staff letterhead January 6 1946 to Dr. Hart responding to Hart’s request for a comment about the Boy Scouts. “Thank you for your letter my photograph and a letter for the Boy Scouts of the Philadelphia Council. I am always glad to endorse the Boy Scouts who have done so much for American youth and for the entire nation. I have just sent a statement expressing my high opinion of the Scouts to the national headquarters. A copy of the statement is attached. Please assure the officials and boys of the Philadelphia Council of my continued interest in their success…” This is a wonderful sentiment evocative of the many contributions the Boy Scouts have made and Ike’s belief in them. unknown books
réf. 344736/4/45. “It is always encouraging to be reassured that the people at home are 100% behind us and appreciate the sacrifices of our troops.” General Dwight D. Eisenhower the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe orchestrated the defeat of Germany’s Third Reich during World War II. He could only have done so with the support of the American people for which he was eternally grateful and of his courageous soldiers many of whom were killed in action. April 1945 saw the war in Europe in its final weeks with intense fighting and many significant events. These included the continuing bloody Allied invasion of Germany and the Battle of Berlin and Soviet advance into that city. As Allied forces in the West closed in they liberated concentration camps like Bergen-Belsen. April was also marked by the execution of Benito Mussolini suicide of Adolf Hitler and on April 12 the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. On May 8 V-E Day the war in Europe would come to an end. While his role as a military leader was crucial to the war’s outcome Eisenhower was equally important in the documentation of Nazi brutality and the truth of the Holocaust. This was an important aspect of April 1945 for him. On April 4 the Third United States Army liberated the Ohrdruf camp. That camp was an extension of the Buchenwald Concentration Camp. On the day of liberation the SS members of Ohrdruf evacuated many of the prisoners on death marches. As U.S. troops arrived they found scenes of mass murder while also coming into contact with the camp’s surviving prisoners. The living prisoners were starving emaciated and desperately needed medical attention. Eisenhower along with Generals George Patton and Omar Bradley visited the Ohrdruf concentration camp personally on April 12 1945. While driving towards the camp the smell of decaying flesh was present and dead bodies littered the streets. Eisenhower was “never so angry in my life” stating that the “English language didn’t even have words that could describe” what he saw. Eisenhower wrote to Winston Churchill following his time at Ohrdruf stating that “everything you read in the paper does not adequately describe what has really happened here.” Thus in April 1945 Eisenhower was profoundly impacted by the horrors that he witnessed and demanded that newspaper editors representative groups German civilians and Allied soldiers bear witness. Typed letter signed on his Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force letterhead Germany April 6 1945 just two days after the taking of Ohrdruf and six days before his famous visit there to Mrs. Mamie Metz thanking her and the American people for their support of the army in the field and appreciation of its sacrifices. “Many thanks for your interesting letter. It is always encouraging to be reassured that the people at home are 100% behind us and appreciate the sacrifices of our troops. My thanks also for your good wishes to me and all my command.” An important statement showing Eisenhower’s feelings about the American people’s sustaining and backing the army and gratitude for the sacrifices of the soldiers issued right near the end of World War II in Europe. Some trimming and evidence of past mounting on verso. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-25018 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204144051/Folder-site-11-1600x1327.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""1327"" /> unknown books
1960réf. 2101927/12/1960. “I doubt if you realize just how much you have helped me carry on the official work of government…” In the waning days of 1960 Eisenhower prepared to leave office and hand the presidency to John F. Kennedy. Henry Ford II was a close confidant of Eisenhower’s and during his presidency provided Ike with important assistance. So as he said farewell to the presidency Ike wanted to tender to Ford his heart-felt thank you. On three occasions Ford lent one of his senior executives Leo Beebe to the U.S. government to supervise the resettlement of refugees and manage similar projects. Beebe became executive vice chairman of Eisenhower’s Committee for Hungarian Refugees in 1956 a need that resulted from the Hungarian Revolution and subsequent flight from the country of many refugees. In addition to his committee work during 1956-1957 while working out of Camp Kilmer in northern New Jersey Beebe oversaw the relocation and resettlement of 35000 Hungarian refugees in the United States eventually finding them permanent residences in this country. In 1959-1960 Beebe organized the U.S. Center for Cuban Refugees in Miami Florida to help with the mass influx of Cuban refugees that fled Castro’s Cuba in 1960 and beyond. Ford backed the refugee aid effort all the way and it was of incalculable importance. In 1960 Robert McNamara was President of the Ford Motor Company. Kennedy the President-elect sought to name McNamara Secretary of Defense. Ford agreed to spare McNamara yet another example of his largess. Ford Motor Co. required its top executives to use private aircraft for business and personal travel. We see in this letter that he also served Eisenhower by providing private jet transportation to and from meetings. Typed letter signed on White House letterhead Washington December 27 1960 to Henry Ford II. “As the end of my Administration approaches I want once again to express to you and through you to your associates the appreciation I personally feel and which is shared by the members of the White House staff who normally travel with me of the many courtesies that have been extended to us not only during 1960 but through all the years here. I doubt if you realize just how much you have helped me carry on the official work of government by making transportation available to the key personnel who must be with me but are necessarily scattered during any one of the so-called ‘work-vacation’ trips I have taken. I assure you however that without your cooperation it would have been exceedingly difficult for me to carry out my responsibilities and still get some periods of relaxation. I shall be lastingly grateful to you and your officials in the various places we have visited with some regularity and at some length. “On a totally different subject I might add that I hear good reports of Mr. McNamara. I am certain his departure for Washington puts additional burdens on you but as always you are a good citizen. “With best wishes to you and your charming family for a fine 1961 and warm personal regard Sincerely Dwight D. Eisenhower.” This letter is the first valedictory of Eisenhower’s we can recall seeing and it remained in the Ford family until 2020. It has never before been offered for sale. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-25018 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204144051/Folder-site-11-1600x1327.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""1327"" /> unknown books
1948réf. 19194Garden City: Doubleday & Company 1948. First Edition / Limited Edition. Cloth. Fine/near fine. The signed limited edition of Crusade in Europe signed twice by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Octavo xiv 559pp tan buckram gilt title over black on spine. Stated "first edition" on the copyright page. Illustrated endpapers. Top edge gilt uncut edges. In the publisher's original acetate jacket a fine example. Includes the publisher's slipcase light wear along opening solid hinges and a sound binding. This book is a limited edition of 1426 copies signed by Dwight D. Eisenhower. This is number 281 of 1426. Additional inscription by Eisenhower on the half title. This copy was signed the month of publication to a member of the U.S. Army Air Corps: "For Russell S. Gardner Jr. / with best wishes and regard. Dwight D. Eisenhower / December 1948. Doubleday & Company unknown books
1812réf. 2102918/12/1948. The Founding Letter of the Renowned Eisenhower Center for the Conservation of Human Resources Yet during the war rejections and discharges of men for mental defects reached a total of more than two million. This type of problem would affect industry as well and Ike sought to establish an entity to research causes and solutions In December 1948 Eisenhower was called to Washington where he met with Averill Harriman Omar Bradley and Harry Truman. The leadership of the military had not settled on a plan to counter the rising Soviet threat and wanted Ike's opinion on fighting force preparedness. He remained in Washington for these meetings in the first two weeks of December. The immediate threat was Russia and a possible attack. The long term threat was to create a more efficient military. He had been assured that such a job should it require long hours would be compatible with his new job at Columbia University and so he made that real. Eisenhower gave thought and consideration on how to present the needs and issues and introduce the concept and program director. This letter/presentation is a product of that and in it Eisenhower also speculates on the role played by education and poverty and ponders whether “industry trade unions the school the church do to help reduce the volume of loss”. The recipient was Henry Ford II president of the Ford Motor Company who was one of America’s top industry leaders and well as a personal acquaintance who would become a friend. The letter is at its essence how to learn from the failures of fighting force recruitment and support during World War II apply it to the next combat and see how far that lesson could be taken to workplace life and the reintegration. Typed letter signed on his Columbia University letterhead New York December 18 1948 to Ford. “It seems to me that the time has come when the wastage of American resources must be combated along all fronts. There are numbers of organizations directing their efforts toward conservation of natural resources including the soil. Our future prosperity is going to depend directly upon the success of their achievements. There is another sector of the conservation problem however that deserves immediate attention and that so far has not been made the subject of widespread intelligent attack. It is the wastage of manpower through mental and emotional failures. “My own attention was drawn forcibly to the matter during the war particularly in the late months of 1944 when the country found that its ability to supply replacements for the battleline was badly strained. Units had to fight under truly desperate handicaps by reason of lack of manpower. Yet during the war rejections and discharges of men for mental defects reached a total of more than two million. One of the numerous reasons that finally decided me to come to Columbia was the hope of assisting in finding some kind of an answer to this national problem. Obviously in the event of great emergency our manpower will be in limited supply but the basic problem is far broader in scope. Manpower losses of this kind imply tremendous costs and inefficiencies for our economy. “This I believe is a particularly propitious time to begin a down-to-earth study of the matter. There exist today the rejection records of the two million men lost in World War II. Most of them are still alive and they provide therefore a great body of factual information for any group that can organize itself sufficiently well to dig out and correlate the facts. In addition there is available in business corporations an important body of personnel information bearing on civilian maladjustments which invites exploration and evaluation. “It would seem particularly important to find out whether there are common causative factors responsible for these human failures. Numerous questions immediately suggest themselves. Among these are: 1. Are these men generally from the undereducated groups 2. Are they generally urban or rural in origin 3. How do these men spend their leisure time 4 Are they underfed or otherwise definitely underprivileged 5. Do they show a long history of emotional instability or do these defects come out only under fear or other stress 6. What has happened to them Are they now a charge upon society or are they leading useful lives 7. How accurate were our war-time yardsticks for measuring ""mental deficiency"" 8 What can industry trade unions the school the church do to help reduce the volume of loss Dozens of other questions suggest themselves but the foregoing will indicate some of the specific points I have in mind. “Shortly after coming to Columbia University I detailed a very able young professor Eli Ginzberg to prepare a memorandum which would show the capacity and qualifications of this institution for undertaking a significant study in this area. His report is attached. Although the study of human resources is so important that it would warrant continuing support I have thought it best to propose a limit of five years on this investigation. My thought is that regardless of continuing scientific research into the various aspects of the question we need to develop at an early date helpful practical methods that will contribute much more than past procedures to the efficient utilization of human resources. “The Columbia Deans commented on the enclosed proposal and they were unanimously of the belief that the investigation should be undertaken. Now I am particularly anxious to get the opinions of men who are experienced in business labor agriculture finance the church etc. and I should therefore like to have your reactions to the above suggestions which are amplified in the accompanying memorandum. It might be that a large percentage of mentally ineffective manpower is inescapable and is a natural result of our particular civilization. This I do not believe and certainly I will not accept such a conclusion until we have done our best to prove or disprove the case “However until I can gather together a volume of considered opinion that the proposed task is not only worth-while but that beneficial results should flow out of it I am neither going to undertake it nor ask for the financial support vital to this particular undertaking. If the replies are predominantly favorable I shall then request ten or fifteen large organizations to assist in the financing of this project. I wish that you would write to me and give me the benefit of your thoughts on this proposal. If this job is worth doing the sooner we get it under way the better.” It comes with the retained response from Ford and the copy of the report sent by Eisenhower to Ford being Ford's copy. A few of these letters were sent out and the response was positive so these words heralded the establishment at Columbia of a project originally called The Conservation of Human Resources and later renamed The Eisenhower Center for the Conservation of Human Resources. Dr. Ginzberg ran the project while Eisenhower invigorated it with energy and direction until he left Columbia to run for president. The work provided for a three-pronged approach: 1 a study of inadequacy and maladjustment in civilian and military life 2 a study of the factors contributing to the development of talent and superior performance and 3 changing patterns of work in a dynamic economy. Over the years it has published numerous works a few of which are “The Ineffective Soldier: Lessons for Management and the Nation” “The Changing U.S. Labor Market” “The New Suburbanization: Challenge To The Central City” and “The physician and the poor”. The Center remains active today. unknown books
1601réf. 2121416/01/1961. Ike wrote that asked “for help in dealing with this crisis your company at once furnished…the same team - Mr. Leo C. Beebe and Mr. Charles A. Pink - who did so much to make a success of our work…for the Hungarian refugees four years ago.” In the wake of the Cuban Revolution in 1959 a Cuban exodus began as the new government allied itself with the Soviet Union and began to introduce communism. Tens of thousands of Cubans left Cuba starting in late 1959 and picking up in 1960 and the United States became the country of first asylum as the Cuban refugees sought and found political refuge here. For the first time the United States Government found it necessary to develop a program to help refugees from another nation in this hemisphere. In the forefront of this effort was President Dwight D. Eisenhower who was in the waning days of his administration. In November 1960 Eisenhower directed Tracy S. Voorhees a former Undersecretary of the Army to act as the President's Personal Representative for Cuban Refugees to look into the Cuban refugee situation. To do this and deal with the broader challenges the refugees presented Voorhees reached out for assistance to Henry Ford II of the Ford Motor Company who had been of great help on a similar occasion in the past. In 1956 Ford lent one of his senior executives Leo Beebe to the U.S. government to supervise the resettlement in the U.S. of refugees fleeing Hungary after the failure of the revolution there. Beebe became executive vice chairman of Eisenhower’s Committee for Hungarian Refugees. In addition to his committee work during 1956-1957 while working out of Camp Kilmer in northern New Jersey Beebe and his aide Charles A. Pink a Ford staff member oversaw the relocation and resettlement of 35000 Hungarian refugees in the United States eventually finding them permanent residences in this country. In 1960 Ford came through again and provided the services of the experienced Beebe and Pink for the Cuban refugee effort. The Cuban Refugee Emergency Center was established in Miami and became the focal point of refugee registration assistance relief and resettlement as well as coordination of government and independent agencies’ programs. Federal funding provided for the center’s operations record keeping publications coordination of agencies and research on different aspects of the refugee situation as well as for programs. The latter included financial assistance educational loans health care adult education and re-training resettlement and care of unaccompanied children. To understand the scope of the effort in the first two years after the Cuban Revolution over 50000 Cubans fled and established new homes in the United States. Typed letter signed on White House letterhead Washington January 16 1961 to Henry Ford II thanking him for again lending a much-needed hand in this critical venture. This letter was written a mere four days before Ike left office and was succeeded by John F. Kennedy. “Tracy Voorhees my representative for the Cuban refugee problem has told me that in response to his request to the Ford Motor Company for help in dealing with this crisis your company at once furnished to him the same team - Mr. Leo C. Beebe and Mr. Charles A. Pink - who did so much to make a success of our work at Camp Kilmer for the Hungarian refugees four years ago. “With their unique experience gained at Kilmer these men have been largely responsible for setting up our Cuban Refugee Emergency Center in Miami and making its work a success. May I express to you and to the Ford Motor Company my sincere appreciation of your again answering our call for help” This letter remained in the Ford family until recently and it has never before been offered for sale. unknown books
1942réf. 376490N.p. 1942. 3pp. on three ruled sheets. Small closed tear to top edge of first page small open tear to left edge of final page; else Fine. 3pp. on three ruled sheets. A charming letter at a vital time in Eisenhower's career: in the midst of planning the attack that would lead to the defeat of Germany here refered to casually as getting "absorbed in work." We're also let in on another side of Eisenhower's responsibilities: entertaining the entertainers. He bears this somewhat wearily but nonetheless we're left with a valuable record of the spirit and dedication of not just the entertainers but all women working on or near the front line. "Last eve was an event in our house. There are several movie stars here entertaining the soldiers and officers . . . . Last eve the troupe gave a performance for the officers of AFHQ but I would not go. Afterwards I sent them an invitation . . . to come up for an after performance supper. They did. There were: Kay Francis Martha Ray Carole Landis and Mitzi Mayfair. I was a bit fearful of how movie people would act & what they'd expect--but it all went off perfectly naturally & no embarrassment. . . . They work hard giving from 2 to 3 shows per day 6 days per week. Moreover they reflect an attitude that seems to be characteristic of all women British & American in this region. They want to get close to the front. The women seem to be more casual with respect to danger than do sic the men. These particular ones want to get up as close as possible to do their stuff-as do the Red Cross the WAACs the ATS etc etc. I suppose there are 50-75 American women in this city & every one tells me that their constant cry is 'Let me get up where there is action.' Many of my officers are quite willing to take cushy jobs far from the sound of bombs & bullets. . . . "No woman can . . . take your place. Don't worry about me . . . . I'm in love with you & with no one else." This last tempted fate written just months before Eisenhower met his long-term mistress Kay Summersby. unknown books
1965réf. 376916New York: Doubleday 1965. Limited editions both no. 1231 of 1434 copies signed by the author 1500 the entire edition the first volume inscribed on the colophon. xx 650 pp; xxiv 741 pp. 2 vols. Thick 8vo. Both light tan buckram with Presidential seal stamped in gilt on upper front boards; stamped in olive and gilt on spine; decorative map endpapers; first volume uncut. Fine copies with original acetate jackets in original publisher's slipcases with affixed printed labels; some shelf wear and sunning to slipcases. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white photog. Limited editions both no. 1231 of 1434 copies signed by the author 1500 the entire edition the first volume inscribed on the colophon. xx 650 pp; xxiv 741 pp. 2 vols. Thick 8vo. Eisenhower's two-volume memoir of his time in the White House issued two years apart in 1963 and 1965. Both volumes of these limited editions are numbered the same however indicating some forethought on the part of Eisenhower when presenting them to his close friend Thomas B. Butler a Baltimore banking and railroad executive who was a frequent playing partner of Eisenhower's at Augusta National Golf Club where both were long-time members. Each man has a lodge named after them on the Augusta course with Butler Cabin being the site where the winner of each year's Masters Tournament receives his iconic green blazer. Eisenhower's formal signature appears on the first blanks of the books in the first volume on a tipped-in leaf and he additionally inscribed Mandate for Change to Butler on the colophon: "For Tom Butler - / with the best wishes and warm regard of his devoted friend / Dwight D. Eisenhower / 1963." A compelling narrative by one of the twentieth-century's most significant figures dedicated in turn to one of his closest friends. Doubleday unknown books
1806réf. 2245918/06/1945. An extraordinary photo and the only one we have ever seen portraying Eisenhower returning home in victory For the General Dwight D. Eisenhower the Supreme Allied Commander the last two years of the war would be his most challenging. Eisenhower would oversee the gargantuan plan for the invasion of Europe: the largest air sea and land assault in history. He would be the one to give the ultimate order that he knew would send thousands of young men to their deaths. And despite a top-notch staff and talented commanders it would be he alone who would have to shoulder the crushing responsibility of decision making. As June 1944 dawned D-Day approached. On June 1 Ike moved his command post from London to Portsmouth where he lived in a tiny trailer that he christened “my circus wagon.” It was here that he gave the go-ahead for a June 5 landing which was called back due to bad weather. Ike’s meteorologist forecast a brief window of clear weather for June 6. Sensing that it was now or never in the early morning of June 5 Ike gave the order “OK let’s go” for the 6th. By late evening June 6 it was clear that Operation Overlord the invasion of Normandy had succeeded. The Allies had put more than 150000 men ashore and the beachheads were littered with Allied tanks and artillery. In late July the Allies would finally achieve a breakout in Normandy and by August 25 Paris would be liberated. The Allies advanced eastward through the autumn of 1944. But hopes to end the war before Christmas were dashed when bad weather set in. And on December 16 as Ike was promoted to the new five-star rank of General of the Army the Germans launched a final attack: the Battle of the Bulge. Initially successful it in the end failed. The Allied offensive picked up again in early spring 1945. In mid-April Ike inspected a concentration camp near Gotha Germany. He was visibly shaken by the horrors he witnessed there. Immediately he summoned reporters and congressional representatives from the United States; he believed firmly that history must have an accurate and permanent record of these unspeakable atrocities. By early May the collapse of the Third Reich was imminent. Just before 3:00 a.m. on May 7 1945 a weary Eisenhower accepted the German unconditional surrender. Someone on Ike’s staff opened a bottle of champagne in a half-hearted attempt to celebrate but it was flat. Exhausted everyone went to bed. But the defeat of Nazi Germany - perhaps the most important victory in modern warfare - was accomplished. The month after the German surrender was incredibly busy for Ike. Unending paperwork a flood of congratulations and mountains of correspondence threatened to bury him. Then came the moment Ike longed for - he started back home to the United States. On June 12 he stopped in London for a victory celebration and made a speech in the Guildhall. There he said “Humility must always be the portion of any man who receives acclaim earned in blood of his followers and sacrifices of his friends….He may have written a chapter that will glow forever in the pages of military history. Still even such a man…would sadly face the facts that his honors cannot hide in his memories the crosses marking the resting places of the dead. They cannot soothe the anguish of the widow or the orphan whose husband or father will not return."" Then it was on to Washington where he arrived June 18 1945. General George C. Marshall waited with Mrs. Mamie Eisenhower at National Airport for Ike’s arrival. The purpose of the visit was to give General Eisenhower a proper homecoming complete with parades and other celebrations to recognize his remarkable efforts in leading the Allies to victory in Europe. Eisenhower’s plane landed at 11:30 A.M. The group departed from the airport for the Pentagon and Marshall rode with Eisenhower. At the Pentagon Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson greeted Eisenhower and then Ike spoke briefly to thank the many people in the War Department for their support. Eisenhower departed for a grand Victory Parade through the streets of Washington with his staff to the cheers of thousands. It was the greatest ovation ever accorded anyone in the nation's capital. After the parade Eisenhower went to the Capitol for a reception arranged by Congress. He told Congress that the welcome given him was in reality the tribute of a grateful country to the three million U.S. soldiers who helped achieve the victory in Europe. Ike then went to the White House to meet with President Truman and his cabinet and advisors with operations against Japan being the main topic on the agenda. Marshall was with him at the Congressional reception and also at the White House meeting. A large 10 by 13 inch photograph of Eisenhower with Marshall on their way to meet President Truman at the White House amidst jubilation June 18 1945 the very day Ike returned victorious after V-E Day signed by Eisenhower. An extraordinary photo and the only one we have ever seen portraying Eisenhower returning home in victory. unknown books
1948réf. 376914New York: Doubleday & Company 1948. First edition #1352 of 1426 copies signed by Eisenhower on the facsimile D-Day Order and additionally inscribed on the colophon. Illustrated with six color maps by Rafael Palacios and 38 text maps plus six photographic illustrations selected by Edward Steichen. 559 pp. 1 vols. 4to. Brown buckram; facsimile signature stamped in black on front title on spine; t.e.g. rest of edges uncut; illustrated map endpapers. Original acetate jacket torn at bottom front otherwise fine. Housed in original printed slipcase shelf worn and split at top. First edition #1352 of 1426 copies signed by Eisenhower on the facsimile D-Day Order and additionally inscribed on the colophon. Illustrated with six color maps by Rafael Palacios and 38 text maps plus six photographic illustrations selected by Edward Steichen. 559 pp. 1 vols. 4to. Eisenhower's personal memoir of his service as the Allied Supreme Commander during World War II replete with detailed maps photographs and diagrams which elucidate both his strategies and decision-making across numerous battles including the Normandy invasion. The book was instrumental in propelling him to the presidency four years later. Each iteration of this limited edition was signed formally by Eisenhower at the bottom of the facsimile D-Day Order at the front of the text. This copy is additionally inscribed on the facing colophon page though using instead his well-known nickname as the signature: "For Tom Butler - / fellow member of the Augusta National - with best wishes from his friend / Ike Eisenhower." Thomas B. Butler a Baltimore banking and railroad executive was a personal friend of Eisenhower as well as a fellow member of the Augusta National Golf Club where he was often the former general's playing partner. Both men have cabins named after them on the Augusta course with Butler's being the site where the winner of each year's Masters Tournament receives his iconic green blazer. Doubleday & Company unknown books
1948réf. 016960Garden City: Doubleday & Company Inc. 1948. First Edition. Hardcover. Slight sunning to the spine about Fine lacking the slipcase. First Edition preceding the trade edition. Illustrated with drawings and photographs. There were 1426 deluxe numbered copies SIGNED by the author on the facsimile page of the D-Day Order to send the troops to storm the beaches of Normandy which begins: "You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you." Of those 1426 copies the first 25 were bound in full red morocco leather and put aside for Eisenhower's personal use. This is Copy #4 and in addition to having the SIGNED order is INSCRIBED by the President to his brother on the limitation page: "For my brother Edgar/In the hope that herein/he may find some small/thing to compensate him for/all the trouble caused him/by the soldier member of the/family with lasting devotion./Ike." Edgar N. Eisenhower 19 January 1889 - 12 July 1971 was a lawyer and the older brother of Dwight D. Eisenhower. The two brothers were known as Big Ike Edgar and Little Ike Dwight with Edgar eventually dropping the nickname. While Dwight's golf game would garner a great deal of attention and he became a most important person in the transition of golf from play to a sport Edgar was the much better golfer winning tournaments over a 20 year span. Edgar was known as a shoot-from-the-hip ultraconservative and a vocal critic of his brother the president. Edgar criticized Ike's budgets policies and judicial nominations. When the press asked Ike about the criticism he smiled and responded that Edgar had been "criticizing me since I was 5 years old." Ike's touching inscription in this book in just a few words perfectly captures their relationship. Doubleday & Company, Inc. hardcover books
1959réf. 208191959. Perhaps the most historically important gun to reach the market; Gifts of state are themselves rare as since an Act of Congress in 1978 they have belonged to the nation and not the recipient; The magnificent shotgun another one of which was given to President Eisenhower comes with a copy of the thank you letter from McElroy to Khrushchev Khrushchev’s visit lessened Cold War tensions and was a major reason the Cold War did not turn hot ""This gun is an embodiment of Nikita Khrushchev's policies in more ways than one: the diplomatic effort to make peace with the West and the domestic reforms aimed to turn the military-industrial second into profitable enterprises operating on open civilian market” says author Aleksei Morozov https://vimeo.com/1068197728 Provenance This gift was given by the craftsmen in Izhevsk to Premier Khrushchev who brought it from Moscow and instructed his foreign policy team to present it to Secretary of Defense Neil McElroy a gift of state meant to symbolize a detente between the two nations. It was retained by McElroy and passed to his son whose heirs sold it directly to us. It has never before been offered for sale and was not known to have survived. Rarity This is perhaps the most historically significant long gun given its symbolism as a symbolic gift of state between the two dominant 20th powers at a crucial moment in the Cold War ever offered for sale. There are no comparables on the public market. Gifts of state are themselves rare as since an Act of Congress in 1978 they have belonged to the nation and not the recipient <img class=""alignnone size-post-window wp-image-20846"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204175833/rifle2-1600x600.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""600"" /> Historical background In September 1959 the Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev visited the United States for about two weeks. This was the first visit by a Soviet head of state to America and was seen as a momentous occasion absolutely dominating the news at the time. Khrushchev's fundamental purpose in making the trip was to gain a better understanding of what America was and to promote mutual understanding between the Soviet Union and the United States on matters of importance to both. Khrushchev hoped that mutual understanding would eventually lead to peaceful coexistence feeling his visit would be the first step on that road. Dr. Sergei Khrushchev - the son of the late Soviet Premier who made the trip with him and became a U.S. citizen in 1999 - considers this visit to be “the beginning of the mutual interaction of the two worlds."" On his trip Khrushchev wanted to talk about politics with President Eisenhower and his senior officials such as Secretary of Defense Neil McElroy: the need for a peace treaty between East Germany and the United States the mutual advantages that would result from the establishment of trade relations between the United States and the Soviet Union and most importantly the necessity of complete and universal disarmament. Even though the U-2 spy-plane incident in May 1960 and Berlin Wall and Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 were setbacks the ultimate success of Khrushchev's trip the United States in 1959 was increased interaction a lessening of tensions the 1962 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and a better comprehension of both nations’ core Cold War positions which was a major reason that the Cold War did not turn hot. Khrushchev’s hopes to establish a mutual understanding with the United States were embodied not merely by the exchange of views on certain issues so that the two sides understood the position of the other but also understood the reasons each had for their perspectives. In Khrushchev’s mind this mutual understanding also went beyond diplomacy and extended to seeing America's people to letting them see him to becoming familiar with American culture and to experiencing what the United States had to offer. This was the success of the visit which had a significant immediate impact on the Cold War. <img class=""alignnone size-post-window wp-image-20847"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204175829/rifle3-1600x558.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""558"" /> The backdrop for Khrushchev’s visit is essentially a history of the Cold War which often threatened to get hot and lead to a nuclear holocaust. Following World War II the uneasy wartime alliance between the United States and Great Britain on the one hand and the Soviet Union on the other began to unravel. By 1948 the Soviets installed communist governments in the countries of eastern Europe that had been liberated by the Red Army. The Americans and the British feared the permanent Soviet domination of eastern Europe and the threat of Soviet-influenced communist parties coming to power elsewhere. The Soviets on the other hand were determined to maintain control of eastern Europe and intent on spreading communism worldwide. The Cold War had solidified by 1947–48 when U.S. aid provided under the Marshall Plan to Western Europe had brought those countries under American influence. From 1948–53 the Soviets unsuccessfully blockaded the Western-held sectors of West Berlin; the United States and its European allies formed NATO; the Soviets exploded their first atomic warhead thus ending the American monopoly on the atomic bomb; the Chinese communists came to power in mainland China; and the Soviet-supported communist government of North Korea invaded U.S.-supported South Korea in 1950 setting off an indecisive but bloody Korean War that lasted until 1953. Josef Stalin died in 1953 triggering a power struggle in which Khrushchev emerged victorious and by 1956 he had consolidated his authority as First Secretary of the party's Central Committee. He then famously denounced the “excesses” that occurred under Stalin and declared that he sought “peaceful coexistence” with the United States. Regarding his trip Khrushchev said he was “curious to have a look at America” and he visited not only Washington D.C. but New York California Pennsylvania Camp David and even a farm in Iowa. The trip took twelve days running from September 15-27 1959. His arrival on the 15th was followed with a motorcade from the airport to downtown Washington. Spectators and several military bands lined the way as Eisenhower Khrushchev and his wife Nina all seated in a convertible waved to the crowds. At the White House they engaged in the first of several meetings both formal and informal. These ran the gamut from frigid sessions at first to - shortly before Khrushchev’s departure - ones that were infused with a spirit of compromise. At a state dinner that first night Eisenhower said “Because of our importance in the world it is vital that we understand each other better.” Khrushchev responded by observing that friendship was necessary “because our two countries are much too strong and we cannot quarrel with each other.” On the 16th in D.C. for a luncheon at the National Press Club Khrushchev declared his ""sincere desire to achieve better relations between our two countries and promote peace all over the world."" On the 18th in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly Khrushchev discussed the damaging effects of the Cold War and the critical role the United Nations must play to achieve peace among the most powerful nations in the world. ""People still live in constant anxiety about peace about their future"" he said ""And how can they not feel this anxiety when now in one part of the world now in another military conflicts flare up and human blood is shed"" He ended his speech with a plea for universal disarmament: ""Let us compete in who builds more homes schools and hospitals for the people; produces more grain milk meat clothing and other consumer goods; and not in who has more hydrogen bombs and rockets. This will be welcomed by all the peoples of the world."" Later in the trip in Pittsburgh he told a crowd “I highly value your confidence expressed in the fact that you presented me with a symbolic key of your city. I thank you and assure you that I want to be your friend and will never abuse your trust and with this key I will only open those doors which you allow me to open…” When he left on the 27th he said he has been ""enriched"" by his visit and that his talks with Eisenhower have helped both men “understand each other better."" <img class=""alignnone size-post-window wp-image-20849"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204175820/rfile5-1600x537.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""537"" /> During the trip the Russians presented the Americans with a small number of symbolic gifts - tokens of friendship and good will. Novosti the Russian news agency reported on ""the list of gifts taken by the USSR delegation to America.Along with the traditional names - granular caviar a set of wine and vodka products boxes and nesting dolls - it also included carpets guns sets of LPs books by Mikhail Sholokhov in English and much more."" The gems were the magnificent decorative guns shotguns from the foremost manufacturer in the Soviet Union one presented to the President and one to Secretary of Defense McElroy. An American newspaper reported on October 11 1959 under the headline ""Eisenhower and Khrushchev have successfully negotiated” that: “One of the gifts Khrushchev brought to Eisenhower was a Russian-made double-barreled shotgun. The Soviet prime minister argued that it was superior to the best British shotguns that hunters around the world have long appreciated. The President is a good shooter and each year he finds time to hunt in the fields of Georgia with former Treasury Secretary George M. Humphrey. Half humorously half solemnly Khrushchev said that this is the only weapon that should be left in the world for the pleasure of hunters…those who witnessed it hope that a small platform for mutual understanding has appeared on which to build future negotiations…” Sergei Khrushchev states of his father and Eisenhower that “these two old men without resolving a single specific question made a lot of progress in the most important area the sphere of human understanding of each other. The first glimmers of trust became visible…We had to move away from the image of an enemy. It seems that this first attempt succeeded. Father produced a rather good impression on Americans. He personally believed in the American president’s desire to achieve peace and a good-neighborly relationship. The image of Eisenhower as an evil instigator of war was finally dissipated and what remained was a clever kind somewhat tired person who had seen a great deal in his life.” The guns were the gems of all the gifts. They were a favorite of Khrushchev and he personally selected them as gifts to the two men. In February he had gone to the Izhevsk region of Russia hundreds of miles East of Moscow where they had presented him with the long arms designed by the finest gun designers. The master engraver Avel Lekomtsev ornately carved representative hunting designs. He is considered to be the finest of the period in Russia. The artifact <img class=""alignnone size-post-window wp-image-20850"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204175815/rifle6-1600x602.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""602"" /> When the Russians came to US for this important visit they brought to the Secretary of Defense one of these long guns made in Izhevsk by Lekomtsev. The metal and wood extensively engraved double barrel hammerless shotgun is in pristine condition. It is a IZH 57 for Izhevsk and the year it was designed. The Izhevsk Mechanical Plant which a few years later became one of the most prominent civilian arms producers in the USSR exported shotguns air rifles and pistols under the Baikal brand all over the world. And yet although the maker is better known for mass-made weapons it also turned out a number of one-off samples hand-finished to the best standard — like this Izh-57. The gun is signed by the Master Gunmakers who worked on it a sign of best quality. Those include Master Engraver Avel Lekomtsev one of the best representatives of the Izhevsk Engraving School a group of artisans who blended several decorative to create unique ornamental style and techniques. The gun lists in Russian the maker and engraver: Master Assembler - V. Nesmelov; Stocker - A. Brylov; Engraver - A. Lekomtsev. The year the gun itself was created 1959 - the year of the visit is carved into the metal. The gun also lists the bore and choke size - 17/16.5 and 17/16 millimeters - and the gauge - 16. Lekomtzev has engraved a five-pointed star in a shield the mark of Izhevsk Mechanical Plant used in the period. He has also decorated the action with images of the hunt including a gold fox with prey in its teeth scaring away in the thickets two ducks made in gold. The bird in its teeth is made in silver or white gold. On the left side of the action a gold-colored pointing dog in the thickets makes a stand above the bird and the dawn in the sky is made using a colored gold method showing the sunrise with a transition from a golden hue below to a more contrasting shade above. The different shades of plumage of the ducks and animals create the impression of a three-dimensional image. The details of the landscapes on both sides of the action are made in silver or white gold. Author Aleksei Morozov notes: ""The way Lekomtsev plays with differently colored gold alloys to make the duck stand out on the background of the equally golden fox is a forerunner of the way Leonard Vasev would create perhaps the best internationally known sample of Izhevsk gun school - the Lenin gun made for the 1967 World Expo in Montreal."" <img class=""alignnone size-post-window wp-image-20854"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204175810/Gun8-1600x1067.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""1067"" /> The gun comes with a copy of the letter from McElroy to Khrushchev dated September 18 1959 while Khrushchev was still in America on Secretary of Defense letterhead. It states in part: “I was pleased yesterday to receive two of your representatives who brought with them some attractive gifts as well as a message from you…Of course the shotgun is handsome indeed. It offers evidence of the quality of craftsmanship of which any country could be proud. In thanking you for the shotgun may I fully reciprocate the wish expressed to me by our representatives that the firearms used in the future by our two countries need be no longer than this shotgun for the preservation of world peace and that even the shotgun be used solely for sporting purposes.” McElroy's manuscript papers were donated but the gun was retained. The choice of this gun was no triviality. In presenting the gun to McElroy the Soviet emissaries stated it was meant to symbolize Russian hopes that firearms used in the future by our two countries need be no longer than this shotgun for the preservation of world peace and that even the shotgun be used solely for sporting purposes. This token of friendship from the Soviet Union to the United States at a key moment in the Cold War is of enormous historical importance. hardcover books
