Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$950.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: No date on the title page. Copyright page dated only 1955, 1956, with publication code F-F below. The first printing has the code M-E, according to consensus of dealers. The M-E code means December 1955. The code in this copy, F-F, means June 1956. 266 pages. Bound with black cloth spine with gold lettering. Blue cloth over boards. Some minor edgewear, but no significant damage of any sort. After the front endpaper, there is a detached page that appears once to have been tipped in between endpaper and half-title page. It is the same size as the pages in the book, but is a different kind of paper. Top edge browned. Some old glue residue at inner edge. The page is signed "John Kennedy" Kennedy's signature is notoriously variable and messy. In addition, he used autopens to mechanically sign things. AND his staff routinely signed his name on correspondence. I have not been able to match this signature (in blue ballpoint pen) to any of the known and numbered Secretarial signatures, nor to the autopen -- Unfortunately, it also does not match perfectly with known Kennedy signatures, which usually look like they say anything EXCEPT John Kennedy. I suspect that this is a secretarial signature, but I'd be interested to know what any experts who see this might think. Kennedy was still in the Senate when this book was published. It won him the Pulitzer Prize in 1956 (even though Ted Sorenson wrote most of the book). Please email with questions or to request photos.
Seller: Riverby Books, Fredericksburg, VA, U.S.A.
Kennedy, John F. Profiles in Courage.. Harper & Brothers, New York, 1956.
Price: US$2000.00 + shipping
Description: First edition of Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning work. Octavo, original half cloth, with eight pages of black-and-white photogravures. From the library of PT Boat Captain William J. (Wild Bill) Barrett, from Great Barrington, Massachusetts with his name and date 2/1/56 on the front endpaper. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Jack design by Phil Grushkin. Jacket photograph by Hank Walker. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book was written when Kennedy was the junior senator from Massachusetts, and it served as a clarion call to every American. The inspiring accounts of eight previous heroic acts by American patriots inspired the American public to remember the courage progress requires. Now, a half-century later, it remains a classic and a relevant testament to the national spirit that celebrates the most noble of human virtues. Kennedy relates these heroisms to sketches of American politicians who have risked their careers for principle. "A man does what he must," he wrote, "in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures-and that is the basis of all human morality."
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Price: US$2500.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, early printing of Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning work. Octavo, original half cloth, with eight pages of black-and-white photogravures. Boldly signed by President George H.W. Bush on the front free endpaper. Bush was the 41stÂpresident of the United States from 1989 to 1993. He previously served as the 43rdÂvice presidentÂfrom 1981 to 1989 under PresidentÂRonald Reagan, in theÂU.S. House of Representatives, asÂU.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and asÂDirector of Central Intelligence. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Jacket design by Phil Grushkin. Foreword by Allan Nevins. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book was written when Kennedy was the junior senator from Massachusetts, and it served as a clarion call to every American. The inspiring accounts of eight previous heroic acts by American patriots inspired the American public to remember the courage progress requires. Now, a half-century later, it remains a classic and a relevant testament to the national spirit that celebrates the most noble of human virtues. Kennedy relates these heroisms to sketches of American politicians who have risked their careers for principle. "A man does what he must," he wrote, "in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures-and that is the basis of all human morality."
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Price: US$5500.00 + shipping
Description: First edition of Kennedyâs Pulitzer Prize-winning work with the publisher's code M-E to the copyright page. Octavo, bound in full crushed levant navy morocco by the Harcourt Bindery with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt-ruled inner dentelles stamp-signed by the Harcourt Bindery, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Association copy, inscribed by Bill Clinton on the half-title page, "To Adrienne Rogers Best wishes Bill Clinton" and signed by Jimmy Carter, "J Carter." In fine condition. A unique association copy. John F. Kennedy's seminal work, "Profiles in Courage," stands as a cornerstone in American political literature, offering profound insights into the complexities of moral leadership and political integrity. Published in 1956, the book delineates the stories of eight United States senators who exhibited extraordinary courage in upholding their principles despite facing considerable adversity and political repercussions. Kennedy masterfully intertwines historical narratives with insightful analyses, showcasing how these individuals defied popular opinion, party lines, and personal interests to champion causes greater than themselves. Through meticulous research and eloquent prose, Kennedy elucidates the timeless virtues of integrity, resilience, and selflessness in the realm of politics, inspiring generations of leaders to prioritize conscience over expediency.
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Price: US$5500.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition, early printing (no first edition statement on copyright page, with Harper code "c-g" that corresponds to March 1957). Signed and inscribed by Kennedy on front free endpaper. From the Robert L. White collection. Publisher's black cloth-backed blue paper-covered boards, with spine lettered in gilt; in its original red, white, and blue dust jacket with $3.50 price, designed by Phil Grushkin. Good book, with a circular spot of staining to bottom left of front board, some light soiling to spine, bright gilt, a few light marks to rear board, some rubbing to edges of boards, corners worn to boards, and a light bump to fore edge of front board; very good unclipped dust jacket, with some fading to spine, very bright front panel, shallow chipping to spine ends, a few small closed tears to panel edges, some very light spotting to panels, and a tiny area of light staining to rear fold of spine. Overall, a solid, internally clean copy, inscribed by the 35th president of the United States. Profiles in Courage is a collection of short biographical sketches of "decisive moments in the lives of celebrated Americans" and the winner of the 1957 Pulitzer Prize for Biography. In this text, Kennedy, then a Senator of Massachusetts, provides a history of Senators who defied the opinions of their political parties during moments of important historical decision. Specifically, he discusses Quincy Adams' departure from the Federalist Party, Daniel Webster's support of the Compromise of 1850, and Sam Houston's denouncement of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, among others.
Seller: B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$5800.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, early printing of Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning work. Octavo, original half cloth, with eight pages of black-and-white photogravures. Foreword by Allan Nevins. Boldly signed by President Barack Obama on the half-title page in person in Keene, New Hampshire. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Jacket design by Phil Grushkin. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book was written when Kennedy was the junior senator from Massachusetts, and it served as a clarion call to every American. The inspiring accounts of eight previous heroic acts by American patriots inspired the American public to remember the courage progress requires. Now, a half-century later, it remains a classic and a relevant testament to the national spirit that celebrates the most noble of human virtues. Kennedy relates these heroisms to sketches of American politicians who have risked their careers for principle. "A man does what he must," he wrote, "in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures-and that is the basis of all human morality."
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
John F. Kennedy. Profiles in Courage. Harper & Brothers,, New York:, 1956.
Price: US$6000.00 + shipping
Description: Very good+ in 1/4 black cloth and blue cloth covered boards with gilt text stamping on the spine with rubbing to the cloth at the head and heel of the spine and with what looks to be a paint stain of 1/4 by 1 inch long at the upper edge of the front board and minor foxing to the rear end sheets due to a reaction with the glues used in binding. In a good, unclipped ($3.95) dust jacket with numerous chips of varying depths around the edges of the panels and with heavy rubbing to the fold to the front flap. Signed and inscribed by John F. Kennedy on the first free end page and dated "1959". Laid-in at the front of the book is a typewritten note from the family indicating the circumstances of how the prior owner met then Senator Kennedy at a book signing event in 1959. 266 pages containing an index, text and a section of images from earlier works of art and from black and white photographs. Senator Kennedy won the Pulitzer Prize for biography for this title in 1957. The code on the copyright page of "J-H" indicates the book was printed in July of 1957.
Seller: Town's End Books, ABAA, Deep River, CT, U.S.A.
Kennedy, John F. Profiles In Courage.. Harper & Brothers, Publishers, New York, 1956.
Price: US$7800.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, early printing of Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning work. Octavo, original half cloth, with eight pages of black-and-white photogravures. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To George Hickel with best wishes John Kennedy." Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Jacket design by Phil Grushkin. Foreword by Allan Nevins. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book was written when Kennedy was the junior senator from Massachusetts, and it served as a clarion call to every American. The inspiring accounts of eight previous heroic acts by American patriots inspired the American public to remember the courage progress requires. Now, a half-century later, it remains a classic and a relevant testament to the national spirit that celebrates the most noble of human virtues. Kennedy relates these heroisms to sketches of American politicians who have risked their careers for principle. "A man does what he must," he wrote, "in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures-and that is the basis of all human morality."
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Kennedy, John F. Profiles in Courage.. Harper & Brothers, New York, 1956.
Price: US$8200.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, early printing of Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning work. Octavo, original half cloth, with eight pages of black-and-white photogravures. Presentation copy, warmly inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To John Burke with the highest esteem and warmest regards of his friend- John Kennedy." The recipient, John Burke was a liaison at the advertising agency used by Kennedy in his 1952 Senate campaign. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Jack design by Phil Grushkin. Jacket photograph by Hank Walker. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book was written when Kennedy was the junior senator from Massachusetts, and it served as a clarion call to every American. The inspiring accounts of eight previous heroic acts by American patriots inspired the American public to remember the courage progress requires. Now, a half-century later, it remains a classic and a relevant testament to the national spirit that celebrates the most noble of human virtues. Kennedy relates these heroisms to sketches of American politicians who have risked their careers for principle. "A man does what he must," he wrote, "in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures-and that is the basis of all human morality."
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Kennedy, John F. Profiles In Courage.. Harper & Brothers, Publishers, New York, 1956.
Price: US$8800.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, early printing of Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning work. Octavo, original half cloth, with eight pages of black-and-white photogravures. Foreword by Allan Nevins. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "For Craig - with best wishes John Kennedy." Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Phil Grushkin. Author photograph by Hank Walker. With an original "News About Senator John F. Kennedy" bulletin laid in with the headline: "Kennedy Wins Smashing Victory in Wisconsin - 106,000 Vote Margin" and several other articles related to the 1960 Democratic Party presidential primaries. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. An exceptional example. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book was written when Kennedy was the junior senator from Massachusetts, and it served as a clarion call to every American. The inspiring accounts of eight previous heroic acts by American patriots inspired the American public to remember the courage progress requires. Now, a half-century later, it remains a classic and a relevant testament to the national spirit that celebrates the most noble of human virtues. Kennedy relates these heroisms to sketches of American politicians who have risked their careers for principle. "A man does what he must," he wrote, "in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures-and that is the basis of all human morality."
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Kennedy, John F. Profiles in Courage.. Harper & Brothers, New York, 1956.
Price: US$9800.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, early printing of Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning work. Octavo, original half cloth, with eight pages of black-and-white photogravures. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Bill Graham, Best wishes, John Kennedy." Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jack design by Phil Grushkin. Jacket photograph by Hank Walker. Uncommon in this condition and signed. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book was written when Kennedy was the junior senator from Massachusetts, and it served as a clarion call to every American. The inspiring accounts of eight previous heroic acts by American patriots inspired the American public to remember the courage progress requires. Now, a half-century later, it remains a classic and a relevant testament to the national spirit that celebrates the most noble of human virtues. Kennedy relates these heroisms to sketches of American politicians who have risked their careers for principle. "A man does what he must," he wrote, "in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures-and that is the basis of all human morality."
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Kennedy, John F. Profiles In Courage.. Harper & Brothers, Publishers, New York, 1956.
Price: US$12500.00 + shipping
Description: First edition of Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning work. Octavo, original half cloth, with eight pages of black-and-white photogravures. Foreword by Allan Nevins. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "For Ben Connors with very best wishes- John Kennedy." With the inaugural address of President Kennedy laid in. Very good in a very good price-clipped dust jacket. Jacket design by Phil Grushkin. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book was written when Kennedy was the junior senator from Massachusetts, and it served as a clarion call to every American. The inspiring accounts of eight previous heroic acts by American patriots inspired the American public to remember the courage progress requires. Now, a half-century later, it remains a classic and a relevant testament to the national spirit that celebrates the most noble of human virtues. Kennedy relates these heroisms to sketches of American politicians who have risked their careers for principle. "A man does what he must," he wrote, "in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures-and that is the basis of all human morality."
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Kennedy, John F. Profiles In Courage.. Harper & Brothers, Publishers, New York, 1956.
Price: US$20000.00 + shipping
Description: First edition of Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning work. Octavo, original half cloth, with eight pages of black-and-white photogravures. Foreword by Allan Nevins. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Fred Payne with the highest regards John Kennedy." The recipient Frederick G. Payne was a United States Senator from Maine from 1953 to 1959. He previously served as the 60th Governor of Maine from 1949 to 1952. Kennedy and Payne worked together in the Senate in the 1950s and were close friends. "From the Personal Library of Senator Frederick G. Payne" stamped opposite the front free endpaper, near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Phil Grushkin. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. An exceptional association linking these two United States Senators. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book was written when Kennedy was the junior senator from Massachusetts, and it served as a clarion call to every American. The inspiring accounts of eight previous heroic acts by American patriots inspired the American public to remember the courage progress requires. Now, a half-century later, it remains a classic and a relevant testament to the national spirit that celebrates the most noble of human virtues. Kennedy relates these heroisms to sketches of American politicians who have risked their careers for principle. "A man does what he must," he wrote, "in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures-and that is the basis of all human morality."
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Kennedy, John F. Profiles in Courage. Harper & Brothers, New York, 1956.
Price: US$25000.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: First Edition, First Printing with the words "FIRST EDITION" printed on the copyright page. The publisher's M-E code is also printed on the copyright page. A superb copy authentically SIGNED by John F. Kennedy on the front endpaper. This ORIGINAL First Issue dustjacket is rich in color with minor wear to the edges. The book is in great shape and is bound in the publisher's ORIGINAL cloth. The binding is tight with NO cocking or leaning and the boards are crisp with slight wear to the edges. The pages are exceptionally clean with NO marks or bookplates in the book. A fantastic copy SIGNED by the author in collector's condition.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.
Kennedy, John F. Profiles In Courage.. Harper & Brothers, New York, 1956.
Price: US$35000.00 + shipping
Description: First edition of Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning work. Octavo, original half cloth, with eight pages of black-and-white photogravures. Association copy, inscribed by the author to Massachusetts Senator Leverett Saltonstall on the front free endpaper, "To Senator Saltonstall- with the very highest regards of his colleague John Kennedy." The recipient, Leverett Saltonstall was the senior senator of Massachusetts while John Kennedy was the junior senator. Saltonstall served as Republican Whip from 1949-1957 and as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee from 1953-1955. He attended the wedding of John Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier in 1953, and the two served together in the Senate from 1953 to 1960. Saltanstall and Kennedy worked together closely over the course of several years, as evidenced of one of their constituents thought the two had an even closer relationship, mistakenly assuming Saltonstall to be Kennedyâs uncle. "If you are ready to admit it," Kennedy kidded in a 1963 letter, "I am." Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Phil Grushkin. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. An excellent association linking these two statesmen. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book was written when Kennedy was the junior senator from Massachusetts, and it served as a clarion call to every American. The inspiring accounts of eight previous heroic acts by American patriots inspired the American public to remember the courage progress requires. Now, a half-century later, it remains a classic and a relevant testament to the national spirit that celebrates the most noble of human virtues. Kennedy relates these heroisms to sketches of American politicians who have risked their careers for principle. "A man does what he must," he wrote, "in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures-and that is the basis of all human morality."
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Kennedy, John F. Profiles In Courage.. Harper & Brothers, Publishers, New York, 1956.
Price: US$125000.00 + shipping
Description: First edition of Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning work. Octavo, original half cloth, with eight pages of black-and-white photogravures. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To J. Edgar Hoover- a public servant of the highest courage- with the admiration of the author- John Kennedy." The recipient, J. Edgar Hoover served as the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States for nearly 48 years, being first appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation â" the FBI's predecessor â" in 1924 and was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director for another 37 years until his death in 1972. Hoover's controversial anti-communist agenda as FBI director led him to be an ally of JFK's father, Joe Kennedy, who was a successful businessman, an ideal capitalist, and a self-proclaimed enemy of communism. While JFK was also anti-communist, both he and his brother Robert clashed with Hoover over any number of issues, such as Civil Rights and organized crime, and Hoover supported Nixon during the Presidential campaign against JFK. A television docuseries was even made in the 80's titled Hoover vs. The Kennedys: The Second Civil War, which follows the Hoover reign through an eight-year period, from JFK's nomination to the Democratic ticket in 1960, through the Johnson years and the tragic assassinations that would mark the end of an era. Given that their relationship was notoriously tumultuous in later years, this positive inscription full of admiration, which was written soon after the book's release in 1956, is all the more interesting. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Phil Grushkin. Foreword by Allan Nevins. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. One of the finest association copies extant between these two looming figures of twentieth century American politics, with Hoover serving for nearly half a century and Kennedy inspiring future generations to serve. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book was written when Kennedy was the junior senator from Massachusetts, and it served as a clarion call to every American. The inspiring accounts of eight previous heroic acts by American patriots inspired the American public to remember the courage progress requires. Now, a half-century later, it remains a classic and a relevant testament to the national spirit that celebrates the most noble of human virtues. Kennedy relates these heroisms to sketches of American politicians who have risked their careers for principle. "A man does what he must," he wrote, "in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures-and that is the basis of all human morality."
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.