Profiles in Courage - Senator John F. Kennedy 1956 - Harper &, New York - First Edition A fine first edition in bright clean and delicate dust jacket, which is usually encountered in a far worse state.

Profiles in Courage’, which Kennedy dedicated to his wife Jacqueline Kennedy, received the Pulitzer Prize for history in 1957.

This is a book about that most admirable of human virtues – courage. “Grace under pressure,” Ernest Hemingway defined it.’

Kennedy’s election to the House in 1946 and the Senate in 1952 gave him personal experience in dealing with the conflicting pressures that legislators face. Kennedy took a leave of absence to recover from back surgery, giving him the opportunity to study the topic of political courage. The result,
Profiles in Courage, focuses on the careers of eight Senators whom Kennedy felt had shown great courage under enormous pressure from their parties and their constituents. His own battles with physical pain and his experiences in World War II as a PT boat commander also gave him inspiration.

  First edition, first printing with ‘M-U’ on the copyright page.

Large octavo (book size 21.8x15cm), pp. xix [3] 266. In publisher’s black cloth spine and blue linen boards, spie lettered and ruled in gilt, top edge trimmed others untrimmed. Dust jacket priced ‘$3.50’ to upper corner of front flap.
  Condition: Fine in near fine dust jacket with a hint of rubbing to spine ends, and some small spots of rubbing to upper panel and spine.   Ref: 111606   Price: HK$ 15,000