1479 DAYS: THE SIEGE OF UNIVERSITY OF SARAJEVO : A Documentary Overview of Events 1992-1995. Written by scholars of the University of Sarajevo, and edited by Professor Faruk Caklovica, President of the University of Sarajevo.

Published by the University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, second edition, 2010

Hardcover Book, no dustjacket as issued, 8.5x12 inches, 211 pages. Illustrated throughout with color and b&w photographs, drawings and reproductions of documents.

During the Serbs war against the Bosniaks, the University of Sarajevo found itself torn in two. The Serb nationals who were part of the University either left or joined the Serbian aggressors, while the Bosniaks stayed to fight and to try to keep the University operating. The siege of the University of Sarajevo lasted 1479 days.

VERY GOOD condition, cover corner tips are bumped, otherwise tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. A solid, nice, very presentable copy.

About the SIEGE of the UNIVERSITY OF SARAJEVO (from the Internet sources):

******About half the professors, lecturers and employees of the University of Sarajevo turned their backs on the University at the beginning of the Bosnian war in April 1992. Most of them had Serb nationality. Many fled the city to save themselves and their families, but a considerable number joined the Serb besiegers and supported the siege. This is the sobering conclusion of the book "1479 days - Siege of University of Sarajevo", which was prepared by scholars of the University and presented to the public in the Bosnian capital. In spite of the constant shelling, in spite of the snipers, in spite of hunger and cold, training and teaching were maintained by the professors and students who stayed at the risk of their lives.******

Important, Rare, Handwritten Letter by JOHN HORTON SLAUGHTER (aka TEXAS JOHN SLAUGHTER, SHERIFF SLAUGHTER, JOHN H. SLAUGHTER), written in 1859 when he was only 18 years old. Single Page Handwritten Letter, single sheet, light blue laid paper with a nickel size blind embossed emblem at the upper right corner, approximately 7.75 x 12 inches. GOOD condition, several folds where the letter was probably folded to fit into a small envelope (NO envelope is present), very small holes where a couple folds intersect, a few ink stains on the blank back side, otherwise solid with writing that is fully legible. Folded is how the letter was preserved and is its normal state. The letter was written to John H. Slaughter's 22 year old friend and trusted horse selling partner JOHN B. LINDSEY, of Frankfort, Kentucky. (The Lindsey / Lindsay family is an old and prominent Kentucky family, as are its relations.) The contents of the letter seem to indicate a familial relationship of some sort between the Slaughter and Lindsey family lines. This pre Civil War letter written at the age of 18 is by far the earliest letter of JOHN HORTON SLAUGHTER that I have seen. It gives a glimpse of his life and ambitions that have rarely, if ever, been recorded. The letter reads in great part: "(??) August 24, 1859. / Dear John / Yours of the 8th has been received and the draft for $500 which was very acceptable. You say you have not heard from me in a long time. I answered your other letter acknowledging the receipt of the other draft & your Aunt also wrote in it making a long letter. I hope you have received it before this in that I left all the matter of collections to your own judgement as I do in this need the money, but I can get along (as I?) have raised a small crop of cotton & I have some cattle & young horses to sell if I could meet with a purchaser. You say your state has gone for the Democrats. You had better quit it and come to Texas, it has gone the opposition ticket. Houston is elected by a large majority. Your relations are all well as usual except (?) who has been quite sick but she is now on the mend... the rest of our family is as well as usual... We don't know (what) you do to stand it in Ky. You must suffer very much. Remember me to all./

Yours Truly, John H. Slaughter." This letter was acquired in Northern California from the estate of a member of (per the estate listing): "a very prominent Southern family, offering... pre-and post-Civil War ephemera (letters and documents)..." Most of the interesting old documents I found related to the LINDSEY FAMILY of FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY, including many documents and letters of JOHN B. LINDSEY (born July 4, 1837, Frankfort, KY, died 1922, Frankfort, KY), among which was this letter. I also acquired an unpublished autobiography by Edwin S. Lindsey, the Grandson of John B. Lindsey. There is a paragraph on page 3 where he writes: "When he was a young man, Grandfather Lindsey had tuberculosis, the dreaded Great White Plague of that age. He went to Texas for better climate and was a horse trader, buying horses in Mexico and selling them in the U.S. West. Those were the wild days of the West, and many were his adventures, which will have to be omitted now. He recovered his health and returned to Frankfort, where he practiced law very successfully till he retired at the age of eighty four". This paragraph matches perfectly with the Slaughterhouse letter urging the young John Lindsey to leave Kentucky and join him in Texas. About JOHN HORTON SLAUGHTER (excerpted from Wikipedia): "John Horton Slaughter, b. 1841 d. 1922, also known as Texas John Slaughter, was an American lawman, cowboy, poker player and rancher in the Southwestern United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After serving in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, Slaughter earned a reputation fighting hostile Indians and Mexican and American outlaws in the Arizona and New Mexico territories."

SOME COUSINS OF THE GREAT WAR, April 3rd, 1917 - November 11th, 1918. Compiled by EVA TURNER CLARK. Self-Published, Self-Bound, New York, 1920. Printed on fine rag paper with deckled edges, watermarked "Berkshire Text", paper produced by the American Writing Paper Co., of Holyoke, Massachusetts (founded in 1899). Wrappers / softcovers, brown paper covers printed with a title on the front cover. There are 32 leaves (sheets) of 8" x 11" paper, 2-hole punched at the left margin, bound with a single staple in middle of the left edge and with a cord through the two holes that binds the inner pages to the plain brown card covers. Inner pages consist of a Title Page, a Foreword by Eva Turner Clark, an Appendix, and 12 pages with a tipped-on photographic plate facing 12 pages of a biographical description of the soldier being pictured (i.e. there are TWELVE "Cousins of the Great War", each with a tipped-on photo on one page with their description on the facing page). The backsides of most pages are blank, and a number of leaves are entirely blank. The cousins, all related to the author Eva Turner Clark, are: Randolph William Apperson, Austin William Clark, Edward Hardy Clark, Henry Burrow Clark, Morris Richard Clark, Joseph Marshall Flint, Richard Clark Kroeger, Randolph Clark Mayfield, Howard Gray Park, Paul Everton Peabody, John Thomas Whitmire, and Anvil Clark Williams. Condition: Covers are chipped especially at their top edges, worn along all the edges and peeling at the spine ends, nonetheless they are present, original, and still bound well to the inner pages. Internally, one sheet has a 1" closed edge tear, otherwise all the leaves are very good, bright, clean and unmarked. All the tipped-in photographic plates are bright and clear. An attractive, original, complete copy. This ORIGINAL 1820 SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK / DOCUMENT is SCARCE.

1955 ANNUAL REPORT of NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION, INC.

Paper covers, side stapled, 8.5x11 inches, 36 pages.

See the Military Industrial Complex at Work!!! Jets, Missiles, Atomic Power.

GOOD condition, shelf rubbing and light soiling to the covers, else tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked.

One of the earlier Annual Reports related to Boeing that I have seen.

About NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION (from Wikipedia):

******North American Aviation (NAA) was a major American aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo command and service module, the second stage of the Saturn V rocket, the Space Shuttle orbiter and the B-1 Lancer.

Through a series of mergers and sales, North American Aviation became part of North American Rockwell, which later became Rockwell International and is now part of Boeing.******

CLOSE SUPPORT and SURVEILLANCE AIRCRAFT PRODUCT LINE. Produced by GENERAL DYNAMICS / CONVAIR. Produced for presentation to the USAF in the hopes of achieving a major government contract. Dates generally refer to 1964-1966, i.e. when proposals were made to various USAF officers, when various aircraft would go into production, etc. 43 printed sheets stapled together at their upper corner, printed on one side only, includes photos and diagrams of military aircraft and proposed military aircraft, timeline for building and delivering various Convair military aircraft, drawings showing Mission Capabilities of various aircraft, schematics showing Combat Effectiveness, Attack Procedures, and Mission Cost Effectiveness, etc. Rare and Scary. Convair really wanted to make a lot of money off the Vietnam War and were hoping that the USAF officers would give them the green light. A true Military Industrial Complex document. VERY GOOD condition, sheets lightly age toned, staple rusted, a few light page creases from handling, overall bright, clean, clear and unmarked. SCARCE. The only copy I have or have ever seen.

Ephemera of

CAPT. CURTIS A. THOR, U.S. AIR FORCE re: AIR TRANSPORT, GUAM, VIETNAM, with the largest folder of documents coming from 1965 and 1966 while he was STATION TRAFFIC OFFICER at ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GUAM, during the time of the VIETNAM WAR. All the items are in generally GOOD condition, with general signs of handling and wear, still bright and clean. The materials are: (1) A paper written by Capt. Curtis titled: INTERIOR CLEANING OF TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT, A STAFF STUDY. Written for the 1608th Air Terminal Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. Six typed pages with hand corrections throughout. There is a handwritten critique of the paper on the back of the last page, apparently written by a supervisor. Bound in a student type paper folder. Dated 2 November 1959. (2) A THESIS by Captain Curtis A. Thor titled: AEROSPACE THESIS : CAPSULE EJECTION FROM SUPERSONIC AIRCRAFT. Written at the Squadron Officer School. Six typed pages plus a bibliography and title page, bound in a student type paper folder. Dated 1 December 1959. (3) Booklet published by the DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE titled INFORMATION ON VIETNAM FOR AIR FORCE PERSONNEL. AFP 216-9. Dated 17 July 1967. 26 pages. (4) Folder filled with numerous documents written for distribution to the 1507TH SUPPORT SQUADRON, ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GUAM. All the documents are dated in 1965 and 1966. Many of the documents were written by CAPTAIN CURTIS A. THOR, Station Traffic Officer, with a few by MAJOR LLOYD W. JOHNSTON, Station Traffic Officer. Each document is paginated separately, approximately 150 pages.

1968-1970 SIX LETTERS from ADMIRAL THOMAS H. MOORER, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, to JAMES S. COPLEY, Publisher of a group of papers including the SAN DIEGO UNION, re: COPLEY MEDIA'S SUPPORT of THE MILITARY and U.S. CONSERVATIVE NATIONALISM. All the letters are personal and friendly, obviously the two men are friends, equally obvious is that the Very Conservative Admiral is courting the Copley Media through this friendship. The letters are all on official CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS stationery of various sizes (3 are 7x8.5 inches, 2 are 7.5x10.5 inches, 1 is 6x7.5 inches). The letters are all typed and hand signed.

The letters reference a couple of notable events, THE PUEBLO CRISIS and INVESTIGATION, and Moorer's nomination by President Nixon to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (a position Moorer held from 1970 to 1974). The letters are dated from 12 JUN 1968 to 14 MAY 1970. Some excerpts: "Once again the Navy owes you and your fine publications a commendation for the considerate and highly responsible manner in which you have reported the entire PUEBLO AFFAIR. Your editorial treatment has been distinguished from the beginning by sympathetic and sensitive understanding". "Too often, other news media around the nation have damaged the Navy or our men by implication or innuendo. Our job would be much less complicated if some in the news media field would follow the responsible example you have set in this matter." "The Country is indeed fortunate that someone in your position is so well aware of the dangers facing us in the years ahead... I assure you that I will do my best in the years ahead and will take advantage of your offer of help." "I appreciate the kind sentiments... incident to my recent nomination by PRESIDENT NIXON to become the next CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF... Warmest personal regards... would enjoy seeing you here in Washington." CONDITION: The letters all have folds from where they were folded to fit into envelopes (envelopes not present), and some light signs of handling, otherwise bright, clean and clear. SCARCE Group of Six Letters showing a MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL FRIENDSHIP between a CONSERVATIVE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS and a NATIONALISTIC MEDIA MOGUL. Beware the Military Media Complex! About Thomas Hinman Moorer (excerpted from Wikipedia): ******Thomas Hinman Moorer (b. 1912 d. 2004) was an ADMIRAL in the UNITED STATES NAVY who served as CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS from 1967 to 1970, and as CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF from 1970 to 1974.****** About James S. Copley (excerpted from Wikipedia): ******James Strohn Copley (b. 1916 d. 1973) was a newspaper publisher. He published the San Diego Union, The San Diego Union-Tribune, and the San Diego Evening Tribune, from 1947 until his death in 1973. His politics were unabashedly conservative, Republican and Nationalist. He had close associations with leading Republicans of the era, including Barry Goldwater and Richard Nixon. He strongly supported the U.S. Military and its involvement in Vietnam, and was reportedly, according to Carl Bernstein, in secret cooperation with the CIA.******

Two Issues ARCHIV FÜR KRIMINOLOGIE. (Kriminalanthropolpgie und Kriminalistik). Herausgegeben von ROBERT HEINDL. Band 113 und 114, 1943 and 1944. Published by Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1943 and 1944. Text in German. Booklets / Journals, paper covers, 6" x 9", approximately 50 pages each. Illustrated with some b&w photographic plates. GOOD MINUS condition, the covers have some soiling, light staining, toning, and edge chipping; the spine coverings are splitting at the folds and peeling at their ends, but have been neatly repaired / reinforced with clear tape; there is foxing to the page edges and to the first and last few pages of each issue, especially heavy on the last few pages of issue 114; otherwise both issues are complete in their original wrappers, with pages that remain bright, clear and unmarked. ROBERT HEINDL (1883-1958) was a noted German criminologist. He introduced FINGERPRINTING in GERMANY as a valid identification technique.

Uncommon 1958 Front Strike Vintage MATCHBOOK With ATOMIC BOMB EXPLOSION and U.S. Naval Ship Imagery. Unused and complete with all 30 blue tipped matches. Closed matchbook measures 2" x 2". VERY GOOD CONDITION: match tips and striker surface are clean, cover lightly age toned, an excellent example.

The Secret U.S. Military Nuclear Testing Program, OPERATION HARDTACK was conducted in the Pacific Ocean where a series of huge nuclear detonations were set on the Bikini and Enewetak Atolls in the Marshall Islands during 1958, some high altitude detonations could be seen from Honolulu. Unfortunately, many participants and ecosystems were exposed to lethal levels of radiation. Just seven years later President Kennedy signed the nuclear test ban treaty, banning all nuclear tests in the atmosphere, in outer space, and underwater.

An unusual item titled WAR DIARY. Appears self-published. Bound in plain white wrappers. 318 pages printed on one side only. A week-by-week, day-by-day account of the atrocities being committed in the war in Kosovo. Reads incredibly like what is happening in Ukraine.

I believe the author to be Sefer Jashari, an Albanian. The last five pages are "Accounts From Displaced Women and Children - Internal Refugees in the Centre for Protection of Women and Children, Pristina". All those interviewed in this section were part of the Jashari family, including Sela Jashari, Sefer Jashari's wife".

"13 September 1998: Serb troops with 37 tanks and tens of lorries and other vehicles left for Dushkaje region of Giakove. Thousands of Albanians are living in the open in the region. They all fear of a Serb massacre."

"16 January 1999: Serb forces killed and massacred between 60 to 80 Albanians in the village of Recak village of Shtimje. Bodies of the majority of victims are slain. There are killed and butchered people of different ages starting from a 6 weeks baby to a 90 year old man. Among the victims are women, children and old people...some of the victims have eyes taken out..."

"9 March 1999: The 1,500 people of Ivaje village of Hani i elezit are under siege. The situation is dramatic, where not only residents, but the Refuting people from the attacked village are not able to reach out to safety while the Serb tanks and troops are pounding the village and closing in on it. OSCE KVM is called for help to step in and save the population, most of them women and children, as well as elderly. Serb forces have already torched and destroyed 100 houses of the village."

The book is SIGNED, INSCRIBED and DATED by the author on the title page: "To Ariela / Whom I happened to meet only today, but happened to know her for ages / Author / (Sefer Jashari / 07.07.2005 / Prishtine [Kosovo]".

GOOD condition, creases, some light stains, and some soiling to the covers, title page has a tear to its bottom corner, inner pages remain bright, clean, clear and unmarked.

Horrific, specific accounts of atrocities in Kosovo in 1998 and 1999. I've never seen any work like it relating to the Kosovo War and its affect on the Albanians.

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: This book is heavy and will require additional shipping charges. After placing your order you will be notified of the additional charges and be able to accept or reject them before your payment is processed. Or you can contact us ahead of time to find out the shipping charge to your country. Thanks.

WE WERE THERE... WORLD WAR II : THE MILWAUKEE JEWISH EXPERIENCE. A book of photographs with accompanying brief WWII narratives by and about Milwaukee Jews who served in World War II. Published by the Milwaukee Jewish Archives / Milwaukee Jewish Federation, Wisconsin, 1996. Presumed first edition. Softcovers, metal spiral bound, 8.5x11.5 inches oblong, approximately 80 unnumbered pages containing about 300 brief accounts of Milwaukee Jews that served in WWII. GOOD condition. Metal spirals have rusted, covers show some creases and wear, the last page has some light creases, otherwise tight, bright, clean and unmarked. A solid, presentable copy. From the Introduction: "As part of the 1995 commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Milwaukee Jewish Archives created an exhibit which highlighted participation of Milwaukee Jews in the war... Hundreds of people viewed the exhibit throughout the summer... Many people suggested that we preserve this extremely successful exhibit by creating a book which would contain the photos, narratives, and some of the other materials that were on display over the summer... We hope this book has as much meaning for you as it does for all the people who submitted their precious memories. This was truly a labor of love on the part of nearly 300 authors who wrote the stories inside this very special collection of Jewish remembrances." Rare, I have never seen another copy.

WAR AND THE HOLOCAUST, by ILLAN PALAT.

TEXT IN RUSSIAN, except for an 8 page section in English.

Self published, San Francisco, 2004. Printed by Anzori Printing.

Softcovers, 8.5x11 inches, 211 pages. Illustrated with some b&w photographs.

VERY GOOD condition, just lightly used, tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked.

About the author ILLAN PALAT (from the BLAVATNIK ARCHIVE website):

******Illan Palat was born on April 10, 1924, in Ukraine. When he was three, his family had their property confiscated and was forced to move to the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. They lived and worked in Birofeld, a local kolkhoz, until Palat's father learned accounting and relocated his family to Birobidzhan. Palat was drafted in October 1942, underwent infantry training, and was sent to the front. His first combat experience was in the Battle of Kursk, where he fought on the front line in a 45mm anti-tank artillery unit. The battles were brutal, and Palat's unit suffered heavy losses. There were intermittent shortages of food and water, but there was also a strong sense of camaraderie among all soldiers, regardless of their backgrounds. In late 1943, Palat was severely wounded in the leg; he was saved by another solider, who carried him off the battlefield and into a local house. After eight months of hospitalization and multiple surgeries, Palat returned to Birobidzhan on crutches. Of the forty-three young men who were drafted from Birobidzhan with him, only two would come back. After demobilization, Palat worked as a watchmaker in Birobidzhan, until doctors advised him to move to a warmer climate because of his wound. In 1947, Palat moved to Tbilisi, Georgia, where he worked in construction. In 1977, he moved to United States and lived in New York and San Francisco. In addition to working as a contractor, he wrote the books A SOLDIER FROM BIROBIDZHAN and THE WAR AND THE HOLOCAUST.******

Archive of papers related to LORRAINE ALEXANDER, who in the early 1950s served in the U.S. MARINE CORPS, starting as a Private and rising to the rank of a Staff Sergeant.

Consists of:

* Lorraine Alexander's Armed Forces Military ID, which has her photo, fingerprints, and physical statistics - Blonde, Blue Eyes, 5'6", 130 pounds. * An 8x10 photograph of Platoon 6-A, Third Recruit Battalion, a female battalion. Dated Nov. 9th 1950. Photograph taken at Marine Corps Training Center, Parris Island, South Carolina. * Official USMC document/letter appointing Lorraine Alexander as a Private First Class in the Marine Corps. Dated 14 December 1950. * Official USMC document/letter appointing Lorraine E. Alexander as a Corporal. Dated 21 May 1951. * Official USMC document/letter appointing Lorraine E. Alexander as a Sergeant. Dated 23 November 1951. * Two official separation papers dated October 1953. * Honorable Discharge certificate, dated October 1953. * Certificate of Good Conduct award, dated October 4, 1953. * A document from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts honoring Lorraine Alexander for serving in the Korean War. It is Signed by the Governor of Massachusetts (likely autopen). Undated.* Certificate of Service card - showing period of active duty as 5 October 1950 to 4 October 1953. * A personal and sentimental letter to Lorraine "Lo" from another female Marine. From the letter: "If circumstances be so that we don't see each other after our TOUR, I'd like you to know that knowing you has brought me uncountable wealth. / Millie." Millie added a handwritten note to the letter, ending it with: "WAR GALS!". * A letter from the President of The University of Maryland, Harry Clifton Byrd, on his Office of the President stationery. HANDWRITTEN and SIGNED. It is addressed to Corporal Alexander. "Dear Corporal Alexander / Enclosed are four tickets to the football game Saturday for the four girls I was placed in front of Monday morning. Hope to see you all at College Park. / Sincerely, H.C. Byrd". This letter comes with its envelope, postmarked 1952, sent to Quantico, Virginia. (Tickets are not present) * A letter from the President of The University of Maryland, H.C. Byrd, on his Office of the President stationery. HANDWRITTEN and SIGNED. It is addressed to Corporals Alexander and Walters. In it Byrd says he is enclosing four tickets for the University's final football game of the season, against West Virginia. The letter is undated. (Tickets are not present.)* A ticket stub for a University of Maryland vs. North Carolina game on October 20, 1951. The game was played at BYRD stadium. The ticket states: "President's Box" on the left edge. * A document relating to "mustering out" payment for Lorraine E. Alexander, SSGT, USMC.* A 1960 invoice for a wedding dinner for 76, including a 75 piece 2-tiered wedding cake. Sent to Miss Lorraine Alexander. Her wedding perhaps?

CONDITION: Some creases, closed tears, folds, a bit of foxing, and other signs of age and handling, but everything remains solid, clean and clear.

About Women in the Marines during the Korean War (from the USMC website):

"In 1950, fewer than five years after World War II ended, the United States found itself once again confronted by a war for which it was unprepared. As before, a downsized military establishment rushed to call up, draft and recruit manpower, but recruitment numbers fell short of military requirements.

And just as in previous wars, the services turned again to American women, asking them to leave their homes, jobs and families to serve their country.

In March 1950, at the beginning of the Korean war, there were only 28 regular officer and 496 regular enlisted women Marines.By June 1950, the women Marines were authorized to comprise 100 officers, 10 warrant officers and 1,000 enlistees. Officers were trained at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, while enlisted women were trained at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina."

LA BRETAGNE A` L'E?PREUVE, by Alain LE GRAND and Alain LE BERRE. Published by Edition Daoulan, Bannalec, France, 1992. ISBN 2950656501.

FRENCH BOOK on the battles in BRITTANY for the liberation of France in WWII. A comprehensive work. Softcovers, 6.5x9.5 inches (17x23.5 cm), 607 pages. A comprehensive work. Interspersed with b&w photographs.

WARMLY INSCRIBED by the AUTHOR Alain Le Berre on the entire half-title page. The inscription is in French (photograph supplied). My limited French translates it as:

"Paris, 11.18.1994 / General EARNEST was one of the liberators of Brittany in August 1944. It is a great honor and greatly satisfying to be able to give his daughter and grand-daughter a copy of "La Bretagne à l'Épreuve", in remembrance also of our meeting in Audierne on 20 September 1994. // A. Le Berre // Equally in honor of the GI's who died for the liberation of Brittany and France."

VERY GOOD condition, the covers have some shelf wear and rubs, internally tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked.

The inscription makes this book worth holding close to the heart.