Description
First edition of Swords and Plowshares, signed by General Maxwell D. Taylor.
Octavo, 434pp. Red cloth, title stamped in black and gold on spine. Stated “first edition” with a full number line. Appears unread, faint wear to lower tips of spine. In the publisher’s near fine dust jacket, price clipped, bright illustrations, faint shelfwear, a near fine example.
Signed on the half title: “…with the sincere regards of the author / Maxwell D. Taylor / 24 April 1972.”
General Maxwell Taylor (1901-1987) was a graduate of West Point in 1922 and served in various infantry and staff positions throughout his career, including during World War II and the Korean War. He was appointed as the Commander of the 101st Airborne Division in 1944 and led them during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. After World War II, Taylor later served as the Superintendent of West Point and as the Army Chief of Staff. In 1962, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he played a crucial role in advising President Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Taylor retired from the military in 1964, but continued to serve as a civilian advisor, including as the U.S. Ambassador to South Vietnam from 1964 to 1965.
