"THE DEFINITIVE ACCOUNT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT": EXCEPTIONAL PRESENTATION FIRST EDITION OF CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS' POWERFUL MEMOIR, WALKING WITH THE WIND, ACCOMPANIED BY A TYPED LETTER SIGNED BY LEWIS ON HIS CONGRESSIONAL LETTERHEAD

LEWIS, John. Walking with the Wind. A Memoir of the Movement. (New York): Simon & Schuster, (1998). Octavo, original gray paper boards, original dust jacket. Housed in a custom clamshell box.

First edition of Congressman Lewis' pivotal account of the Civil Rights movement that transformed America, an exceptional presentation copy inscribed by him on the title page, For John S— F— Another person of Conscience. I'm glad We're friends! Best wishes, John Lewis 6-13-90," accompanied by a laid-in typed letter to the recipient signed in the year of publication by Lewis on his congressional letterhead, discussing the Starr report on President Clinton.

In Walking with the Wind, Congressman John Lewis "evokes, with simplicity and passion, how the 1960s transformed the United States… In this powerful memoir (written with Michael D'Orso), Lewis provides a compelling account… rooted in his own history" (New York Times). "No other elected official in America embodies the grand legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., more than John Lewis. In other words, he is a national treasure" (Cornell West). "The brutal beatings he took at the Selma bridge, the Montgomery bus terminal and dozens of historic conflicts are vividly captured in Walking with the Wind" (Morris Dees, Southern Poverty Law Center).

Widely heralded on publication, Lewis' dramatic memoir continues to stand as "the definitive account of the Civil Rights movement" (Washington Post). Congressman Lewis died in July 2020 after a long illness. First edition, first printing: with 16 pages of black-and-white photographic illustrations. This copy's laid-in typed letter to the recipient, signed by John Lewis on a leaf of his congressional letterhead, discusses the Starr report on President Clinton. Congressman Lewis writes of consulting with his constituents on the report, and notes: "the clear majority of the people… do not believe that the allegations… rise to the level of an impeachable offense. They are concerned about what they the feel is the voyeuristic and pornographic content of the Starr report. And, they believe that Congress could better spend its time" on issues that "affect their daily lives… For this reason, I voted against proceeding with impeachment proceedings against President Clinton."

A fine copy.