The Time is Now!

ROOSEVELT, Franklin D. - VAN PAASSEN, Pierre.

Published by New York: The Dial Press, 1941

About this Item

First edition, first printing, inscribed by Franklin D. Roosevelt to his principle private secretary Grace Tully: "For Grace from FDR, The White House, July 10 1941". The inscription is evocative, presenting, six months before Pearl Harbor, a book which focused on the threat that Nazi Germany presented to the United States. It called on America to immediately send troops to the region to prevent further Nazi encroachment into other areas. The book was a best-seller, and was afterwards seen as prophetic. The use of female secretaries broke with tradition, with all prior presidential secretaries men. Tully's tenure dated from his 1928 campaign for governor of New York, and he brought her into the White House on his election in 1932. Tully "occupied a front row seat at momentous events as secretary and friend to the man she called 'the Boss'. To her, he had dictated letters to kings and to generals, manuscripts for his radio fireside chats and such historical speeches as the one he delivered to Congress on Dec. 8, 1941, asking for a declaration of war against Japan" (New York Times obituary, 16 June 1984). Tully recorded in her memoir "Franklin Delano Roosevelt was my boss for nearly seventeen years. In that span of time - final years for him - I watched him emerge from the twilight zone of poliomyelitis convalescence to move from one political stage to another one, until he reached the summit of authority as President of the United States. I watched him pull the country out of our great depression and I watched him lead us to the threshold of victory in our greatest war. I long ago knew that it was my good fortune to work for a man of straightforward simplicity, courage, passion and honest - one of the great souls of history" (Tully, pp. 1-2). Grace G. Tully, F.D.R., My Boss, 1949. Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt. Housed in a custom blue cloth chemise and slipcase. Extensive pencil annotations, presumably by Tully, regrettably erased; otherwise, in fine condition.

Seller Inventory # 190152

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Time is Now!
• Publisher: New York: The Dial Press, 1941
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)