The Book Shelf Behind My Desk

I know you are getting tired of this, but..... so what?

As you would expect, on the bookcase behind my desk, I attempt to keep a reference library of sorts. I have dictionaries (English and foreign), a Thesaurus, a set of the Encyclopedia Britannica, atlases, a current almanac, and so forth.

But for some reason, on the top shelf of the bookcase, I have placed a potpourri of material, most of which would be of no use to anyone, much less me. Why have I give such a prominent place to the following?

1. "Ethe" by Lieutenant Colonel A. Grasset, "Le 22 Aout 1814 Au 4 Corps D'armee", published in Paris in 1927. It tells the story of a battle, it has pictures, it has detailed fold-out battlefield maps (and I mean detailed) and someone has annotated parts of it in the margins as if he might have been there. It was part of a series called "La Guerre en Action".

2. An "Illustrated Michelin Guide to the Battlefields (1914-1918), this one being "Arras, Lens-Douai and The Battles of Artois", being both a battlefield history and a tourist guide. Probably also from the 20s, but undated. In English.

3. Roland de Vaux's "Ancient Israel", a detailed study of life and society in biblical Israel.

4. Hyman E. Goldin's "The Jew and His Duties", a summary volume of the Shulchan Arukh "ethically presented". Published 1953

5. Werner Keller's "The Bible as History" Published 1956

6. Samuel Schultz's "The Old Testament Speaks" Third edition (1980)

7. Nora Levin's "The Jews in the Soviet Union", volumes One and Two

8. Seven brief UNESCO paperbacks (each about 50 pages), entitled Race and Biology, Race and History, Buddhism and the Race Question, The Roots of Prejudice, Race and Psychology, Race and Culture and The Signs of Racial Differences. Published in the early 1960s

9. "Profile of a Patriot" by Mary Stanely Hessel, the story of John Wright Stanly, Revolutionary War Privateer (1983)

10. A paperback edition of "Behind the Forbidden Door", by Tiziano Terzani. Signed. Story of communist China.

11. Theodore Noyes' "Our National Capital and its Un-Americanized Americans". Editor in Chief of the Washington Star from 1908 through 1946. An early book suggesting that it is time to give DC residents voting rights and all that goes with it.

12. A softcover, "Brief Guide to Al-Haram Al-Sharif", on the temple mount in Jerusalem, published by the Moslem Orphanage Press in Jerusalem in 1950.

13. A softcover "the History and Religion of the Samaritans" by Priest Amran Ishak, Nablus, Palestine. And a loose photograph. From first half of 20th century.

14. A softcover "Die Elephantiner Papuyri und Die Bucher Esra-Nehemja" by G. Jahn, published Leyden in 1913.

15. "Echoes of Normandy" written in 1905 by a ten year old boy and his mother, and published for their friends. Lengthy inscription by mother, Laura Hayes Fuller.

16. Softcover, "Selected Poems of Du Fu", published by Sichuan People's Publishing House.

17. Softcover, "The Complete Edition of the 6th and 7th Books of Moses, or Moses' Magical Spirit Art". Hard to say what this is, although it is in English.

18. Softcover, "The Secret World Government" by Maj Gen Count Cherep-Spiridovich, published in 1926 by the Anti-Bolshevist Publishing Association. Anti-Semitic stuff.

19. Softcover "New Life in Galilee" by Dorothy Kahn Bar-Adon, published in 1943, by the American Zionist Youth Commission.

20. Softcover, "Chaco" by Stig Ryden in Swedish, about Indian tribes in Bolivia and Argentina. Signed by author. Published in 1936.

21. Script to the drama version of "The Diary of Anne Frank" from 1958.

22. Philips' ABC Pocket Atlas-Guide to London, with sectional maps and street gazateer. From 1930s.

23. "The Oases of Egypt", vol 2 only by Ahmed Fakhry. 1974

24. Mrs. Herman Halls' "Two Travelers in Europe", a large book written in 1898. I think I will read the chapter called 'Vienna and Budapest'.

25. Even larger book called "Our Republic and a Review of the World's Progress" The story of 19th century achievement by Edward Ellis, published in 1900.

26. The Department of State's "Nazi-Soviet Relations, 1939-1941, published in 1948.

27. Hillel Marans' "Jews in Greater Washington", a paperback published in 1960.

28. "Max and Moritz", famous German nonsense cartoon book, published in Munich sometime in the 19th century.

29. The "Ten MIle Road Map of Great Britain", sheet 2, from 1946, heavy paper large foldout map.

30. The paperback edition of "Man's Journey Through Time", written by my Uncle Milton.

31. Three volumes, services for Pesach, Sukkot and Shavuout, published in 1900 in Vienna by Josef Schlesinger. Hebrew and German

32. A home-made book, the story of Elizabeth Howe Davis of Santa Fe, New Mexico, written by her grandson. Signed. handbound and hand-written, but xeroxed.

33. A large, German children's poem and cartoon book, a terrific book, not in good shape (pages are ok) Published in Munich in the 19th century.

34. Large fancy book, of Memorial Addresses in Congress folllowing the assassination of President McKinley in 1903. The copy belonged to H.C. Block, whose name is embossed on it. I think he was a senator or congressman.

35. Large Passover Haggadah, in Hebrew only. Origin unknown. Nice pictures.

36. Large 19th century picture book of Versailles

37. Large 19th century picture book of the Rhein.

38. Large soft cover portrait book of English Kings and Queens, published in 1911.

39. Westminster Historic Atlas of the Bible

40. Modern coffee table book about Peter Puget, explorer of the north west, signed by author.

41. Book of Dali art work

42. "Jerusalem" by Jill and Leon Uris, signed by Jill.

43. "Men From Earth", Buzz Aldrin's story of the Apollo mission to the moon. Signed by Aldrin.

44. "The Story of Arlington", an 1897 softcover book giving detailed descriptions of Arlington National Cemetery and many of those buried there. By John Hall Osborne, and signed by him.

45. "The Chinese Decameron" translated by Carlo DeFonaro and published in New York in 1927. One of 25 copies signed by the translator, with handcolored illustrations. This is apparently the first translations of certain 16th century writings.

46. Actress Joan Bennett's "How to Be Attractive", signed, printed in 1943.

47. Desmond Stewart's biography of Theodore Herzl, signed.

48. A 1929 edition of Candide, with woodcuts by Howard Simon. Unsigned.

49. Paperback copy of Graham Swift's Book Prize winning "Last Orders", signed by Swift.

50. "The History of Yale Law School", a 2004 volume

51. Wallace Duel's "People Under Hitler", published in 1942.

52. "The Balance of Power" by former German Prime Minister Helmut Schmidt, signed by Schmidt.

53. "The Bible and Modern Scholarship" by Sir Frederic Kenyon, a small book from 1948, somehow signed by Arnold Toynbee.


Looking at all of this, with few exceptions, I know why I have all these books. Why any other than a few are so prominently placed, I am not sure.