Books from Madeleine K. Albright's Personal Collection to Auction
Bob Woodward, Plan of Attack, first edition with Madeleine Albright's annotations
Books written by and inscribed to the late former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright will go under the hammer next month at Freeman’s | Hindman.
The private collection will be sold across a sequence of live and online sales including her distinctive pins and the fine and decorative arts that populated her Georgetown home and her offices, as well as volumes from her personal library.
Highlights include:
* An uncorrected proof os Albright's 2012 Prague Winter a Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948, her autobiographical account of her family history and childhood experiences, which included the Nazi invasion of Prague and the circumstances that led up to World War II and its aftermath. Estimate: $300 - $400
* James Matthew Thompson. The French Revolution, 1955, with underlining presumably in Albright's han throughout of passages relating to the French constitution, church reform, and the establishment of the French Republic. Estimate: $300 - $400
* Albright's Fascism. A Warning, Easton Press, 2018. A limited edition, number 3 of 375 copies, and signed by her, in which she argues that fascism is a greater threat to peace and justice than any time since World War II. Estimate: $200 - $300
* a first edition of Bob Woodward's 2004 Plan of Attack, with Albright's annotations featuring remarks regarding key individuals involved in the 2003 invasion of Iraq including Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Dick Cheney, and George W. Bush. Estimate: $300 - $400
* a first edition, uncorrected proof of Richard Stengel's Information Wars. How We Lost the Global Battle Against Disinformation and What We Can Do About It, 2019, presented by the author to Albright with an autograph note: “Dear Madeleine, I wanted you to get an early copy of this. You’ll recognize, of course, the best & worst of State. But this is about an issue that’s not going away, & we still don’t know how to fight. If you’re willing, I’d dearly love a quote from you for the jacket. I hope you’re very well.” Albright provided a quotation for this work and her page tabs mark important passages. Estimate: $150 - $250
After graduating from college, Albright moved to Chicago and became a picture editor for Encyclopaedia Britannica, a job she very much enjoyed. Her 1959 set of 24 volumes in original bindings will also appear in the sale with an estimate of $800 - $1,200.
“Madeleine Albright’s name and career are synonymous with reaching a pinnacle of female achievement” said Gretchen Hause, Senior Vice President, Co-Head of Department, Books and Manuscripts. “Presenting her biography in objects at auction is a professional and personal honor, and will no doubt excite new generations of global citizens.”
The live auction in New York will take place on May 7 with an online auction the following day.
