The Special Prisoner.

LEHRER, Jim [William Safire].

$75.00

Item Number: 135274

New York: Random House, 2000.

First edition, second printing of Lehrer’s fascinating war story. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, “To Helene & Bill – With love & affection J.” The recipient, William Safire was an important American author, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter. He joined Nixon’s campaign in the 1960 Presidential race, and again in 1968. Following Nixon’s 1968 victory, Safire served as a presidential speechwriter for both Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew. He was a frequent guest on Meet The Press, describing himself as the voice of “libertarian conservatives” and authored several political columns, most notably his weekly column “On Language” which appeared in The New York Times Magazine from 1979 until the month of his death in 2009. He authored two books on grammar and linguistics: The New Language of Politics (1968) and what Zimmer called Safire’s “magnum opus,” Safire’s Political Dictionary. Safire later served as a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board from 1995 to 2004 and in 2006 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Raquel Jaramillo. With two additional notes inscribed and signed by the author to Safire laid in.

"This account of an American prisoner of war in Japanese hands rings with truth. Lehrer, himself a Marine, has captured the reality of what it was like. The brutality, the sadism, the horror, and above all else, the triumph of will that got the prisoners through the experience are all here" (Stephen E. Ambrose).