Description
First edition of Soldier: The Memoirs of Matthew B. Ridgway, signed by the author.
Octavo, [12], 371pp. Red cloth, blue cloth spine, title in red and gilt on spine. Stated “first edition” on copyright page. Previous ownership stamp on front free endpaper and title page. In publisher’s first state dust jacket, $5.00 retail price on front flap, light sunning to spine, a near fine example.
Signed by Matthew Ridgway on tipped-in blank. Laid-in bookmark from The First Edition Circle of Kroch’s & Brentano’s of Chicago.
General Matthew B. Ridgway (1895-1993) served as the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II. After his notable Allied victories in the Italian Campaign and the Battle of Normandy, Ridgway took command of the XVIII Airborne Corps. He commanded the corps in the Battle of the Bulge and Operation Varsity. After the war, he served as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (1952-1953), the Army Chief of Staff (1953-1955), and as a member of the “Wise Men” group, advising President Johnson on the Vietnam War.
