WHEN BLOOD IS THEIR ARGUMENT: An Analysis of Prussian Culture.
New York and London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1915. First edition [Harvey A49]. "A lively, personal, and extremely persuasive indictment of modern Prussianism" (Daily Telegraph). INSCRIBED on the half-title page, "For George Keating / Ford Madox Ford." After Ford's heart attack in 1931 left him broke, Keating offered to pay his way to New York and acted as an advisor on which publishers he should approach. Keating, an executive in a paper company, eventually amassed a large collection of Conradiana, which he donated to Yale University. Laid in is a TLS from Keating to Ford biographer/literary critic Thomas Moser relating a story about Yale and Ford. It reads in part, "I can tell you a funny story regarding Ford. I gave . . . practically a complete [Ford] collection to the university and they later asked me if I would ask Ford to give a talk . . . . [after making arrangements for the talk and not hearing from them] I called them . . . only to learn that they had changed their mind and then they had the gall to add, did I think Ford would autograph the set of first editions I had given them. I told them very bluntly I did not....." Keating goes on to relate an offer of assistance he made to Joseph Conrad's son, Borys, in a cable to his wife, "I cabled Mrs. Conrad, offering to make full restitution to the injured party so that his father's name would not suffer and I have some place on file the cable advising, 'nothing can be done--grateful thanks--Conrad' or words to that effect. At one time or another in all our lives, there arises something that we deeply regret and would never repeat doing, and I felt this was true of Borys' act." Red cloth lettered in black on front cover and spine. Light shelf wear and spine slightly toned, still very good. INSCRIBED TO A BENEFACTOR, WITH INTERESTING AND ILLUMINATING TYPED LETTER SIGNED LAID IN.
Item #53793
Price: $1,250.00