Design for Survival, Inscribed Cold War Nuclear Strategy
Published by Coward-McCann, Inc., New York, 1965
- First Edition
- Signed
- Hardcover
- Used
Seller: Arch Books, London, United KingdomArch Books
AbeBooks seller since January 18, 2023
Condition: Used - Very good
£ 1,250.00
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Power, General Thomas S. Design for Survival New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1965. First edition, second impression. Presentation copy from General Thomas S. Power to Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord Portal of Hungerford. A remarkable Cold War presentation copy from one hard-edged architect of strategic air power to another. Thomas Sarsfield Power was Commander-in-Chief of Strategic Air Command from 1957 to 1964, succeeding Curtis LeMay and presiding over SAC at the height of the missile, bomber and nuclear-alert age. He had commanded B-29s from Guam in 1945, and on 9 March that year led and directed the first large-scale firebombing raid on Tokyo, one of the most devastating air attacks of the war. He later served during the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, took part in Operation Crossroads at Bikini Atoll, and helped build SAC into the airborne instrument of American nuclear deterrence. Octavo. Original black cloth, gilt titles to spine, Strategic Air Command device stamped in gilt to the upper board, in the original blue printed dust jacket. Inscribed on the front free endpaper: “Lord Portal of Hungerford / Keep the Free World Strong / Thomas Power / Gen USAF (Ret).” Lord Portal was Britain’s wartime Chief of the Air Staff, the RAF’s supreme strategic air commander, and after 1945 an important figure in Britain’s atomic-energy administration. The connection is therefore unusually powerful: Power’s book on nuclear deterrence and Western survival, personally inscribed to the British air commander whose own career moved from wartime strategic bombing into the atomic age. The inscription, “Keep the Free World Strong,” gives the copy a striking immediacy. Written in the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis and amid intense Cold War debate over deterrence, bombers, missiles and Western resolve, the phrase feels sharply prescient today, when nuclear risk, military preparedness and the defence of democratic alliances are again urgent public questions. A very well-preserved copy. The black cloth remains clean and sharp, the gilt bright, the binding firm, and the contents clean with only light natural toning. The original dust jacket shows rubbing, light marking and minor edge wear, but presents strongly. A compelling presentation copy with exceptional Portal provenance and unusually direct Cold War resonance.…
Seller Inventory # ABE-1777652280618
Bibliographic details
- Title
- Design for Survival, Inscribed Cold War Nuclear Strategy
- Author
- Power, General Thomas S.
- Publisher
- Coward-McCann, Inc., New York
- Publication year
- 1965
- Condition
- Very good
- Dust jacket
- Very Good
- Signed
- Signed by Author(s)
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Printing
- 2nd Printing
Arch Books
London, United Kingdom
AbeBooks seller since January 18, 2023
Shipping rates from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
| Item | 7 to 12 business days | 2 to 3 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 22.00 | £ 30.00 |
Payment methods
- Bank Wire Transfer
- Cash
Store description
Arch Books is a specialist rare book business based in Richmond, London, dealing in first editions, fine bindings, travel and exploration books, illustrated books, military history, historical documents, and antique prints. We help private collectors, interior designers, gift buyers, and institutions source distinctive works on paper, with particular emphasis on condition, provenance, bibliographic accuracy, and presentation. Founded in 2020 by Guy Nathan, his own interest in collecting works on paper began in 2005, following a visit to the Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair with his grandmother, Pauline Willes, herself a passionate collector. That experience ignited a lifelong fascination with historical documents, art, scientific illustration, military ephemera and literature. For someone with a deep interest in history, collecting offered a particularly tangible way to understand the past - not simply through the events themselves, but through the objects, images and words by which they were recorded and experienced at the time. Whether a scientific drawing, a piece of military ephemera or a work of literature, each provides its own direct connection to a particular moment in history. The thrill of holding a first edition of Shackleton’s South, for instance, lies in that sense of immediacy: experiencing the book much as its first readers did in 1919, and encountering his extraordinary story through the same pages that introduced it to the world. Website: https://www.archbooks.co.uk Enquiries: guy@archbooks.co.uk Member of the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association (PBFA)…
Specialty
Fine Bindings, Antique Prints & Rare BooksSeller's business information
Arch Books
United Kingdom
Terms of sale
Welcome to Arch Rare Books & Antique Prints
My own interest in collecting works on paper began in 2005. A visit to the Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair in 2005, with my grandmother, Pauline Willes, a passionate collector, was the experience that ignited my lifelong fascination with historical documents, art, scientific illustrations, military ephemera, and literature. My love of history made this a fantastic way to learn more about the history of events and how they were documented, whether through art, scientific drawings, military ephemera, or literature of the time. The thrill of holding a first edition of Shackleton's South, for instance, is the thrill of experiencing history firsthand, retracing the steps of those who first encountered his incredible story in 1919.
My family history has profoundly shaped my interests. From my great-grandfather, Vyse Millard, an infantry officer wounded at Ypres in 1915 who later earned a Distinguished Flying Cross with the Royal Flying Corps in North Africa, to my grandfather, Archie Nathan, who led the renowned costumiers L&H Nathans—suppliers to the Royal Family from the reign of Queen Victoria onwards, the Royal Households of Europe, and countless theatrical and film productions.
L&H Nathan's contributions extended beyond the stage. Following my grandfather's World War I service in North Africa, the company, under MI9's guidance, provided specialised clothing for SOE agents operating in occupied Europe during World War II. Some amazing historical keepsakes remain, including original letters from Charles Dickens, childhood drawings by Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret, and theatre programmes for plays held at Osborne House during the reign of Queen Victoria, which are still held by the wider family.
The historical items showcased on this site, many from my own collection, reflect a deep personal interest in the past.
It was this interest that led to the creation of Arch Rare Books and Antique Prints (Arch Books) in 2020.
Guy, February 2025
Right of withdrawal
If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.
Information regarding the right of withdrawal
Statutory right to withdraw
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.
To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.
To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.
Effects of withdrawal
If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).
We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.
We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.
We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.
We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.
You shall send back the goods or hand them over to Arch Books, London, LONDO, United Kingdom, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal
The right of withdrawal does not apply to:
- The delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
- The supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not withdraw once delivery had started.
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