Description
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking, with his thumbprint on the title page and an annotation by his long-time personal assistant, Judith Croasdell.
Octavo, x, 198pp. Dark blue cloth, title stamped in silver on spine. Previous ownership inscription dated 1989 on the front free endpaper. Number line on copyright page, ending at “25.” In the publisher’s near fine dust jacket, $18.95 on front flap, light shelf wear, bright illustrations.
Contains the thumbprint of Stephen Hawking on the title page, with the following stamp: “Right Thumb-Print of S.W. Hawking. Witnessed by Judith Croasdell.” Her initials were written to the left of the stamp.
Books “signed” with the thumbprint of Stephen Hawking are exceptionally rare. The known examples were witnessed by his personal secretaries, Susan Masey or Judith Croasdell, who added an inscription next to the thumb print. Judith Croasdell served as Stephen Hawking’s personal assistant beginning in 2004. She helped manage his daily schedule, correspondence, and public appearances during the later years of his life.
