Description
First edition of Alone by Richard E. Byrd, inscribed by the author to Grace Tully, the private secretary to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Octavo, ix, [5], 296pp. Blue cloth, blue lettering on spine and front cover. Stated “Eighth Impression” on copyright page. Top edge dyed blue, uncut, clean text block. In the publisher’s dust jacket, $2.50 on front flap, light wear to head of spine, bright illustrations, a very good example. (DAB 6, 92)
Includes a first day cover from Admiral Byrd, dated 1961 and addressed to Grace Tully. This copy is inscribed on the half-title: “To Grace Tully / The young lady who has contributed so much to her country during these critical years, I present this volume with enduring appreciation for her friendliness and courtesies to me and with high regard and esteem. Richard E. Byrd.”
Grace Tully (1900-1984) was a longtime private secretary to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. She joined Roosevelt’s staff in 1928, when he was Governor of New York. She communicated frequently with Admiral Byrd, as the intermediary between Byrd and Roosevelt, both longtime friends. Tully became Roosevelt’s primary secretary in 1941 after his previous secretary, Marguerite “Missy” LeHand, was incapacitated by a stroke. She managed the President’s correspondence, typed dictations, and handled confidential matters during World War II. Tully was with Roosevelt when he died in Warm Springs, Georgia in April, 1945. A few years later, she published “FDR: My Boss,” a memoir of her time working with the President.
