JFK’s First Book, Inscribed to Newsman Arthur Krock
Why England Slept.
New York: Wilfred Funk, Inc, 1940.
Price: $35,000.00
About the item
First edition. xx, 252 pp. 8vo. JFK’s First Book, Inscribed to Newsman Arthur Krock. Publisher’s rose cloth. Spine faded, light wear to spine ends.
Item #260820
The first edition of John F. Kennedy’s first book, inscribed to Arthur Krock: “To Mr. Krock. Who Baptized, Christened, and was Best Man for this book — with my sincere thanks, Jack Kennedy.”
Arthur Krock (1886-1974), the “Dean of Washington Newsmen,“ was Washington correspondent and bureau chief for the New York Times and wrote the “In the Nation” column. He was a close friend and political ally of Joe Kennedy and his children. He advised John F. Kennedy with the revisions of his 1939 senior honors paper, "Appeasement in Munich,” in preparation for its publication the following year. It was Krock who suggested the new title, Why England Slept, a response to Churchill’s While England Slept. Krock would continue to advise the young Kennedy, who thanked him In the Preface to Profiles in Courage.
Ted Kennedy wrote admiringly of Krock in his tribute volume to his father: ”Mr. Krock has long been one of the most respected newsmen and columnists in Washington. He was won two Pulitzer Prizes for his work. He met Dad [Joseph Kennedy] during the New Deal years and won his deep admiration. Mr. Krock advised President Kennedy in the writing of his first book, Why England Slept, and has been a source of valued help to my brothers and myself” (Edward Kennedy, The Fruitful Bough: A Tribute to Joseph P. Kennedy, p. 112).
[With:]
As We Remember Joe. Edited by John F. Kennedy. Privately Printed: Cambridge, Mass, 1945. First edition, second issue. Original burgundy cloth. Fine copy. Inscribed, “For Martha and Arthur Krock, Bob Kennedy. Christmas 1965.” Krock contributed a short reminiscence of Joe Kennedy from the 1940 Democratic National Convention, pp. 39-41.
KENNEDY, Robert F. The Enemy Within. Harper & Brothers: New York, 1960. First edition. Publisher’s cloth. Spine faded. Inscribed, “To Arthur Krock, With the thanks and admiration of his friend, Bob Kennedy.” Krock wrote the foreword to The Enemy Within.
The Fruitful Bough: A Tribute to Joseph P. Kennedy. Collected by Edward M. Kennedy. Privately Printed, 1965. Original blue cloth. Some scuffing to front cover. Inscribed, “To Arthur Krock, Who helped make The Fruitful Bough possible. With appreciation. Ted Kennedy. Sept 6 1965.” With carbon of typescript of Krock's contribution to the volume as submitted for editing.
