books

So, six years ago my paternal grandfather passed away. My father, like he did with my grandmother, essentially settled the estate. I don't know if anyone else out there has ever settled an estate or has been party to the settling, but, for some reason or another, you end up with mountains of stuff. Typically papers and whatnot but also everything that no one else has laid claim. Tables, chairs, books, trinkets.... 38 bottles of lemon juice and several bags of steel pennies....*cough*

Anyway, I was in college so wasn't home for the large majority of it but a small stack of books and magazine sat to the side in the basement of our house, untouched, ever since. I think my parents got tired of sorting through all my grandfather's papers that went they reached the end (months later) they did want to even look at another pile of stuff.

If there was any doubt that my grandfather loved planes (not that I had any), going through his books pretty much removed it. If, somehow, you've missed the fact that I love old books, this post ought to clear it up. I spend hours looking at them, searching for ones that interest me, and the older the better. I didn't really expect to find anything of interest in my grandfather's books despite the fact that he was born in 1918. To my astonishment, I found a United States history--that has seen better days--that was printed in 1874, a reference Bible printed in 1917, and a book of prayer printed in 1929.

I also found a book for the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine... also known as the Shriners, an appendant body to the Freemasons. I suppose I'll say no more about that and instead show you my history book find!

Front cover:


Spine. It was really hard to take that picture. It's a very sad spine.:


Back cover:


Inside cover:


Title page:


It's funny to think about, but since this book was printed in 1874 it was just 9 years after the Civil War... so, here:


And the assassination of Lincoln:

I like the "unbiased" standpoint the book takes with the assassination. The first full sentence on the first page reads, "He was shot while seated, in company with his wife and friends, in his box at Ford's Theatre, by John Wilkes Booth, who insanely imagined he was ridding his country of a tyrant."

Just thought I'd include something of interest within the covers of the book. So excited about it. I'm rather sad that it's not in better condition but I guess I can't really complain. It is 136 years old.

edit to add that i've now put up pictures for Les Miserables and The Three Musketeers.