Victory Through Air Power, Signed and Inscribed by Major Alexander P. de Saversky, First Printing, 1942

De Seversky, Alexander. Victory Through Air Power. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1942. Signed first edition, first printing. Original dust jacket. Presented in custom matching slipcase.

This first edition, first printing of Victory Through Air Power is signed and inscribed by Major Alexander de Seversky. On the first free end paper the author inscribed, “To Lauren Paine with my Best Wishes, Alexander de Seversky Oct. 25, 1942.” Printed in 1942, the work was published in New York by Simon and Schuster. The book has 354 deckle-edged pages and 48 glossy black and white photos throughout the work. It retains the original decorative blue and gray dust jacket and is presented in a matching custom archival slipcase.

Major de Seversky was a pilot during WWI and designed fighter planes as well as bombsights. He quickly became convinced that air power is one of the strongest forces in modern warfare. While WWII was underway, he used this book to urge the U.S. to take the offensive against the Axis Powers through the use of planes. He believed that the United States was fully equipped to win the war if only it would put into action the strategies he outlined in his book. To further his point, de Seversky detailed all of the major battles in the conflict so far that had been decided through air power. This book had such an impact on some of those who read it, that the financially struggling Walt Disney set out to make Victory Through Air Power a film that would hopefully get the attention of the U.S. military. Unfortunately for Disney and de Seversky, the military put MacArthur’s island-hopping technique into effect rather than the suggested full use of airplanes. Eventually, de Seversky’s urges to create an Air Force separate from the Navy and Army did come to fruition.

CONDITION:

Overall good condition. The signature on the first free end paper is clearly written in dark blue ink. The cloth boards as well as the first and last few pages have soiling near the bottom. Internally, both endpapers have tape residue, but the other pages are clean and decorated with dark blue coloring on the top edge. The dust jacket has come loss and discoloration, but is now protected in a mylar cover. The matching blue custom archival slipcase is decorated with a photo of de Seversky set into a recess.

Dimensions: 8.75” H x 6.25” W x 2” D (with slipcase)