The Spirit of St. Louis

New York: Scribner’s, 1953. First Edition. A presentation copy of Lindbergh's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, inscribed the month before publication, "To Carl Allen, in appreciation of years of friendship, and in thanks for criticism of the manuscript of 'The Spirit of St. Louis'. Charles A. Lindbergh, Aug. 1953. Publication date is Sept. 14th." The recipient is mentioned in the book's acknowledgments. A very good copy in dust jacket; in a custom clamshell box. Included with the book is a two page typed letter, dated January 18, 1953, and signed "Charles", about six hundred words in length. Lindbergh thanks Allen for reading the manuscript, "I feel sure that some errors will be found, but want to exhaust every reasonable method of eliminating them before publication...In regard to the take-off area at North Island (San Diego), I have no figures...There was plenty of margin in this instance as the plane was carrying only a little over a half load of fuel...I wrote the first draft of the manuscript in past tense, then changed to present. Personally, I think it made a great improvement in spite of certain obvious restrictions. In regard to the difference between 'We' and 'The Spirit of St. Louis', as you probably know I wrote 'We' in three weeks (with the exception of about 5000 words which I had pieced together previously); also, one learns, or at least should learn during a quarter century of life. I have worked with more or less regularity for fourteen years on this present manuscript - quite intensively this winter. Also, as I am sure you realize more than most, being married to Anne has affected this book, in a deeper sense, as much as though she had written large parts of it...In regard to the press, I am afraid that the desire for chronological fact and literary balance has affected my pages more than mellowness - much as I believe in mellowing with time. The press events which created a taste of bitterness which still remains took place after my flight in 1927...In regard to the incident of engine trouble over the Rockies...I don't think I ever claimed to tell everything that happened on my flights, any more than I tell all that happens in my life...Of course, there are occasions when I have said 'fine' to a pleasant 'how are you', when a literal reply might be 'I feel like hell' - and that applies to a flight as well as to a personal condition..." With the original typed envelope.