White House Diary, Signed by Lady Bird Johnson to Lord and Lady Astor
[Signed Presentation to Lord and Lady Astor] Johnson, Lady Bird. A White House Diary. First Edition. 1970. Book and dust jacket are both in very good minus condition—there is foxing to the upper page edges and jacket shows mild soiling, a small chip to the upper spine, and a moderate chip to the back cover. Book is warmly inscribed, “For Lord and Lady Astor, ‘who brought life’ [to] centuries of history for us—May I share this moment of history with you, Lady Bird Johnson, July 15, 1973.”
Most presentation copies tell two stories: the one in the book and the one in the inscription. In this case, the latter may be the more intriguing. Lady Bird Johnson inscribed this copy to Lord and Lady Astor of Hever Castle, one of England’s most storied historic houses. Originally the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the castle later passed to Anne of Cleves after Henry VIII dissolved their brief marriage. Centuries later it was acquired by William Waldorf Astor and remained in the Astor family, including Gavin Astor, the second Baron Astor of Hever, to whom this copy was presented. Lady Bird’s inscription alludes to those accumulated layers of history, thanking the Astors for having “brought life” to centuries of the past. The association is a fitting one. Like Hever Castle itself, A White House Diary is less concerned with great events than with the people who inhabited them, offering a firsthand account of life at the center of political history.
“There was talk of President Eisenhower and his way of conducting business. There is nothing like getting in the job yourself to become more understanding of the men who had it before you! President Eisenhower has been very helpful, and I know Lyndon has lived to bless the days in the Senate when he cooperated with him with courtesy and respect.”
--Lady Bird Johnson