Book: Pictorial History of the US Army, Signed by Gen'l Omar Bradley, Gene Gurney, Vintage 1966

Three thousand pictures, from colonial muster to Vietnam, and on page 139, beside the portrait of General of the Army Omar N. Bradley, his signature in blue ink.

• Author: Gene Gurney
• Publisher: Bonanza Books, a division of Crown Publishers
• Copyright: 1966
• Format: Hardcover with the original dust jacket and a faux leather cover added by a previous owner
• Pages: 807 numbered, plus 4 unnumbered index pages
• Dimensions: 11.25 inches Tall x 8.75 inches Wide x 1.75 inches Thick
• Condition: Very Good. There are two triangular rust stains (approx. 3" x 1") on the front and back free endpapers, with light rust transfer into the title page and its verso, possibly from a metal object once laid on the page. The faux leather cover (photographed), was added by a previous owner. It is well done, shows no wear, and is not original to the book. The dust jacket has very minor border tears, mostly along the top edge. The only writing is the signature described below. Please review photos closely before purchasing, as all sales are final.
• Shipping: Eligible for USPS Media Mail, the most economical shipping option. Delivery can take up to 8 business days and is not guaranteed, so please choose the method that best fits your timeline at checkout.

The full title is A Pictorial History of the United States Army: In War and Peace, from Colonial Times to Vietnam. The book has 3,000 illustrations in color and black and white, including maps, facsimiles and portraits, with a foreword by Gen. Harold K. Johnson, Chief of Staff, US Army. The title page carries an owner's stamp: "James H. Batchelor, Shawnee, Oklahoma, Sherman Oaks, Calif." On page 139 is an autograph in blue ink reading, "Omar N. Bradley", beside his photograph.  It has not been independently authenticated. The faux leather cover is not a publisher's binding, so the original cover is not visible. The book weighs 4 lbs 11 oz, and we recommend Media Mail for the lowest shipping cost, though it is slower.

This is a big, serious book, nearly five pounds of American military history, that anchors a shelf or a desk the moment it lands there. Turn to page 139 and a signature reading "Omar N. Bradley" waits beside his portrait. It's for military-history readers, collectors of signed World War II memorabilia, veterans' families, and anyone building a shelf of Americana.

Gene Gurney (1924–2011) wrote a string of pictorial military histories, including Five Down and Glory, The War in the Air, and, in 1973, The United States Coast Guard: A Pictorial History. Crown Publishers issued this Army history in 1966, and this copy is the Bonanza Books issue from Crown's division. General Harold K. Johnson, who wrote the foreword, was Army Chief of Staff from 1964 to 1968. Omar Bradley (1893–1981) led the Twelfth Army Group in World War II, became a General of the Army, and served as the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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