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Stated First Printing, First Edition. This book certainly deserves the description of rare. Not only are there no other signed copies for sale on the Internet, there are no signed copies of any of the author's books for sale anywhere on the Internet. Clearly, he did not make a habit of signing books, and in this case it was clearly a friendship that made the difference. The book is signed and inscribed to the writer, literary critic, and biographer Maxwell Geismar and his wife Anne. The inscription reads: 'For Anne and Max Geismar I, and their many great works--(not including this one!)-- Long may they ( ?)-- Edgar Snow, May 7/66.' I have provided a photograph of the signed inscription. I have several other books for sale that were written by Maxwell Geismar, and signed and inscribed to his wife. Shameless plug: I also have for sale a copy of Soul on Ice that was owned and marked up by Daniel Bell. Maxwell Geismar wrote the Introduction to Soul On Ice. From Edgar Snow's New York Times obituary: 'Mr. Snow's reputation in the West was based on two books Red Star Over China (1937), and The Other Side of the River: Red China Today published in 1962. The Other Side of the River contained Mr. Snow's impressions of the new society in China as he saw it in 1960, eleven years after the revolution was proclaimed. Conceding the existence of some serious technological shortcomings, he found China to have made considerable progress toward improving the quality of life in major spheres. Over the years Mr. Snow traveled extensively in China and was granted exclusive interviews by her leaders. His most recent trip was in the fall of 1970, when he talked with Premier Chou and Chairman Mao at considerable length. In one conversation, Mr. Chou dropped a hint that his country might he willing to talk with the United States. 'The door is open,' the Premier told Mr. Snow. The remark was eventually picked up by the White House, which dispatched Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, the President's national security adviser, to Peking to arrange a visit. Mr. Snow said: 'I lived in China for a dozen years, I speak Chinese, I have great empathy for the Chinese people. My function as a journalist has been to reflect what I know. And this has clashed with some so-called experts who have preconceived opinions about what China ought to be or who can't believe any good at all of the Chinese Communists. Needless to say, I am not a Communist.' Nor am I, but I'm willing to share the book with you for a capitalistic price. The covers are exceptionally clean. The gilt lettering on the spine is nicely bright. The cover edges look very good, the bottom ones have a little bit of superficial rubbing, no rub-through. Same for the corners, no rubbing to little rubbing, one speck-sized spot of rub-through just above the rear bottom corner. The top page edge is pink or slightly faded red. The middle page edge is deckled or rough-cut, very good job. All three page edges are very clean. This thick 810 page book is very solidly bound, nicely tight pages throughout, no issues at the junctures of the covers. Blue-and-white mapped inside covers and end papers of China, very clean, no wear. Pages are in excellent shape, exceptionally clean (haven't found any soiling), no turned-down corners, no placeholder creases. Some later pages have a little nick/crease just off their bottom edge, no tears. 24 pages of photos. All in very good condition, a very small amount of light amber spotting on only a few. No markings in the book. No attachments of any kind. And the signed inscription is the only writing to be found anywhere. The dust jacket is rated only Fair. Several small edge losses, several edge tears, one of the tears (off the front top edge) has a piece of tape over it. The flaps are clean, one small loss on each where it merges with a front or rear corner, one tear on each. The jacket is NOT price-clipped, not clipped at all. I've always had it in a fitted protective cover.
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