Description
First edition, first printing of Why England Slept by John F. Kennedy, inscribed to the British Ambassador to the United States, Philip Kerr, the Marquess of Lothian, who inspired Kennedy to publish this work.
Octavo, xxx, 252pp, [5]. Red cloth boards, title stamped in white over blue, light wear to top edge of spine. The first printing, with no additional printings mentioned on the copyright page. Faint label remnant on the spine, offsetting to endpapers, reside from dust jacket protector to front endpapers. Solid text block, free of marks or notations within the text.
This copy was held by the Newbattle Abbey College, the ancestral home of the Marquesses of Lothian, with a note on the second free endpaper stating “Presented by the Lothian Trust,” (Newcomb 10)
In publisher’s first state dust jacket, $2.00 retail price on front flap, blurb by Henry R. Luce on back panel and no mention of later printings on front panel. Chipping and light soiling to rear cover, closed tear to rear panel, faint toning to spine, a scarce dust jacket. Housed in custom blue cloth clamshell, title in gilt over red morocco on spine.
This copy is signed on the front free endpaper: “To The Marquis of Lothian / with my sincere regards and thanks / John F. Kennedy / Aug. 1, 1940.”
British Ambassador Kerr visited Boston in January, 1940 with Ambassador Kennedy’s son, John. F. Kennedy. Ambassador Kerr urged Kennedy to publish “Appeasement at Munich,” Kennedy’s senior thesis at Harvard University. (Grace, Journal of Liberal History, p. 30) (Billington, Quest for World Order, p.65) Originally titled “Appeasement at Munich,” Kennedy’s work delved into the reasons for Britain’s policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany in the lead-up to World War II. His primary focus was on the years 1937-1939.
Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian (1882-1940), was the United Kingdom’s Ambassador to the United States from August 1939 until his death in December 1940. During this crucial period at the start of World War II, he played a central role in strengthening Anglo-American relations, working closely with President Franklin D. Roosevelt to secure U.S. support for Britain. Lothian was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the Lend-Lease program, emphasizing Britain’s need for material assistance. While Winston Churchill avoided Joseph P. Kennedy, Kerr retained a friendly relationship with Ambassador Kennedy.
