Library Book Sale Day is a Very Dangerous Day

This post is majorly late in the making – library book sale season is the end of April – but belated though it may be, I can’t help but want to share my haul from this year. I know my spending fast rules specifically outlaw book purchases, but I had stashed $20 away months ago just for this purpose. Afterall, where else other than a library sale can you get antique books for a buck a piece AND support your local libraries?

This year I ended up finding some real gems. Or at least some real gems as far as a book nerd like me is concerned.

First we have this little pocket tome of Washington’s Farewell Address, The first Bunker Hill Oration, and the Gettysburg Address.

The things I love most about antique books like this are the gorgeous title page plates…

… and the little handwritten gems you find inside like these quick notes summing up the farewell address. They’re like reaching back into the past – into another lifetime. I love it.

I also found a beautiful hardback copy of This is Our China by Madame Chiang Kai-shek. Published before the rise of Mao and the communists, I feel like this is going to be a fascinating look into the public front of China before the fall of the Kuomintang on the mainland.

Then there’s US War Aims by Walter Lippmann.

Lippmann was a journalist, who in this volume published during WWII spelled out the general strategies and situation for the US.

Naturally, Lippmann wrote this prior to the publication date of 1944, so this will be a fascinating look back to a time when we were truly in the thick of things – without an end in sight on the horizon – but also before the worst of the abuses of the war were fully realized. I found some little newspaper clippings in this one too – can’t wait to investigate that a bit more.

I also picked up this Area Handbook for North Vietnam, as issued by the US Department of the Army. I love these things – it’s like owning a piece of history. I can’t for the life of me understand why it was even still there when I got there late in the afternoon.

And then there’s this lovely hardback:

History of the World War. Not the First World War, but the World War – because the second hadn’t even happened yet. Hell, WWI was barely over when this was published!

I can’t wait to pour through this… It’s going to be so interesting reading this knowing how our interpretation of the war has changed over the years.

I also picked up some newer publications. I’ve been wanting the Faust Republic of Suffering for months now – ever since one of my students did a book review on it for me – and I just couldn’t say no at fifty cents. The American Heritage Picture History of WWII is going to be super handy for redoing my lecture PowerPoints for next year, and I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Ellis.

I think I made out like a bandit this year – particularly since I didn’t have much luck at this thing last year.

Did you go to any library book sales this year? Find any gems like these?