presentation copy

Inscribed on front free endpaper: 'To Lieut. Coffman / with my sincere regards- / Wm. S. Graves / Major Gen'l, U.S. Army Retired.'

Graves (1865-1940) was Commander of American forces in Siberia during thr Allied intervention in Russia following the 1917 Revolution. His detailed account of the Siberian Expedition remains an important source for the history of US involvement in the Russian Civil War. One historian has written that '...of the entire sad debacle, he [Graves] may have been the only honorable man' (Benson 1992, p398). Graves' autograph is not especially common, and this book is seldom found in the dustjacket.

First edition, first printing, inscribed by the author; 8vo; portrait frontispiece, 7 photographic plates, leaves slightly age-toned, second loose autograph sentiment signed by Graves and original government notice dated 1920 laid in; publisher's tan cloth, black lettering to spine, black topstain, trivial spotting to boards, with the unclipped dust-jacket, slightly toned, some mild edge-wear, otherwise very good.