FIRST EDITION OF PROFILES IN COURAGE, WITH JOHN F. KENNEDY'S SIGNATURE

KENNEDY, John F. Profiles in Courage. New York: Harper & Brothers, (1956). Octavo, original half black cloth boards, original dust jacket. $2000.

First edition, first printing, of Kennedy's Pulitzer-winning examination of "that most admirable of human virtues," signed by him on a tipped-in leaf.

"A series of sketches of American politicians who risked their careers in the cause of principle… 'A man does what he must,' Kennedy wrote, '—in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures—and that is the basis of all human morality'… The book was popular history of high order, and it received the Pulitzer Prize for biography in 1957" (DAB 7: 420). First printing, with "First Edition" and publisher's code "M-E" (December 1955) on copyright page.

Book near-fine, dust jacket with light soiling, fading to spine, and shallow wear to spine ends, corners and folds. An extremely good copy.