Seven Came Through by Edward Rickenbacker, Signed First Edition, 1943

Rickenbacker, Captain Edward V. Seven Came Through. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc., 1943. First Edition. Octavo. Signed by Rickenbacker. Presented in its original dust jacket and boards. With a new black cloth archival slipcase. 

Presented is a first edition printing of Captain Edward V. Rickenbacker’s Seven Came Through. The book was published in 1943 by Doubleday, Doran, and Company. Seven Came Through is Rickenbacker’s true account of 24 days adrift in a life raft. Rickenbacker signed the book on the first free page, “With my best wishes, To Henry C. Brockel, Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker 1942/1963.” Under this is printed and conveyed “With my best wishes to Leo Wright, A real Rickenbacker fan from away back: Harry C. Brockel.” 

Eddie Rickenbacker (1890-1973) was one of the most famous American heroes to emerge from World War I. The leader of the 94th Aero (“Hat in the Ring”) Squadron, Rickenbacker became the country’s “ace of aces” with 26 aerial victories. He was awarded the Medal of Honor and a record ten Distinguished Service Crosses. A famous race car driver before the war, following his discharge he became an automobile executive, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and later president of Eastern Air Lines. Shortly before America’s entry in the war, he left Eastern to be a special observer for the War Department. In the fall of 1942, he was sent on an inspection tour of air force facilities in the Pacific and to deliver a secret message to Lt. Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

On Oct. 21, 1942, Rickenbacker, together with his aide Col. Hans Adamson and Sgt. Alexander Kaczmarczyk, took off from Hawaii for Canton Island, an atoll about 1,600 miles southwest of Hawaii. Scheduled to arrive at 9:30 a.m., by 10:30 they had not spotted their destination. Despite a rough sea, Cherry was able to belly land the B-17 in the water. It remained afloat long enough for the seven men to scramble out and get into three small life rafts. What happened next was a 24-day epic of survival. Jammed into rafts barely large enough to hold them, the men suffered extremes of hot days and freezing nights, with only six oranges and no fresh water among them. On the afternoon of their 24th day at sea, Kingfishers found Rickenbacker’s life raft. Rickenbacker completed his assignment and delivered his message to General MacArthur. Rickenbacker wrote this book about this experience, Seven Came Through, the following year. 

CONDITION:

Very good condition. Hardcover with original dust jacket. Octavo. The edges, corners, and covers of the book show only minor wear. Internally, the book is clean, with no underlining; no highlighting; no internal markings and no pricing stickers. Presented with a new cloth archival slipcase, with a printing of the original dust jacket design on the front cover.

Signed by Rickenbacker in blue ink: “With my best wishes To Henry C. Brockel Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker 1942/1963.” Under this is printed and signed, “And conveyed with my best wishes to Leo Wright, A real Rickenbacker fan from away back: Harry C. Brockel.” 

Dimensions: 8 1/2” H x 5 1/4”W x 1/2” D (Book); 9”H x 6” W x 1 1/8” D (Case).