The 12 Years First and Last by M-Q (Jack) Petersen. Illustrations and Photographs by The Author.

8 3/4 x 11 1/4", 99pp., illustrated with drawings fro 12 year old "Jack" Petersen's travel diary, written during a trip to Denmark with his parents in 1927; 14 color repro. photos taken around Gasparilla Island, Florida. Light blue textured cloth with titles in gilt on spine & front cover; pictorial dj. with nautical map design & information about the book & authors on back panel. Top & bottom of dj. spine show slight wear; some slight damp-related tan spotting to reverse of dj., endpapers, fep., titlepage, last few page margins. VG+/VG. Presentation copy, signed by the author to Admiral Chester Nimitz, Jr. & his wife: "To Joan & Chester Fondly Ruby Q 87" on the fep. Author & the Nimitzes both then lived in Boca Grande, Florida, the subject (in photos) of the last 12 years of the book's title. Very scarce item. "This book is dedicated to the memory of my very loved, late husband Morton Qvistvaard-Petersen, affectionately known to his friends as "Jack." For years I had kidded him about writing a best seller-telling him I only had to publish my diary. Never did I dream I would some day be publishing his diary, written when he was twelve years old. He accompanied his parents on a trip to Denmark and his written description of his days there, the buildings, the people and the Danish food weave a tapestry of interesting observations for a twelve year old and adults alike. The last twelve years were spent on Boca Grande, Florida on historical and legendary Gasparilla Island. We built our home, Guanihauni, in 1967 but spent only a few months there each year. But finally, with retirement, we became full fledged Floridians. Jack was an avid photographer and with his Hasselblad, Arrie, or Pentax cameras, he recorded each flower, each grain of sand, and each blade of grass, plus all the wild birds that frequented our boat dock at Guanihauni, including a pair of wild mallards, which took over our pool. When we found the male had a broken leg, we nursed him throogh his ordeal. We could not just shoo him away as he would have surely died. Each year they would return to us and we finally decided to share the pool with them." [from the dj. back panel].…