A Time To Heal.

New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1979. First edition of the 38th president of the United States' autobiography. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated. Presentation copy, lengthily inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To John Marshall Hobbs, with gratitude and appreciation for your prayers, your confidence and your support at those times when they were needed most Warmest regards, Gerald R. Ford." Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Lawrence Ratzkin. Desirable signed by Ford and Stevens. This memoir was the most extensive commentary Gerald Ford ever provided regarding American politics. He granted several interviews over the years, but they were usually short and not very introspective. Ford was perfectly willing to retire from the public eye and concentrate on serving on the boards of directors of various businesses. Unlike most ex-presidents who work hard to achieve elder statesman status to either rehabilitate or firm up their place in history, Ford was satisfied with what he'd done in his years of public service. While he was never called an "amiable dunce" as Clark Clifford once called Ronald Reagan, Ford never developed a reputation as a brilliant strategist nor was he gifted with a knack for policy development. However, in reading his memoirs, one finds a man very comfortable with himself and his decisions.