Gifter's Remorse

I am having second thoughts about a Christmas present this year.

A good friend has become an American citizen and I was interested in finding a book that might give him some insight into some difficult areas of American history. After some reflection, I decided on The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, a 1974 fictional account of the battle of Gettysburg focusing on the Little Round Top. It is a very perceptive, open-minded recreation that gives an idea of the time and the men. And I wanted a hardcover; while there has been an anniversary reissue, intact hardcovers are hard to come by.

I like books. I spend a lot of free time in book stores and I collect first editions. I'm one of those guys who worry about the implications of e-readers. Books are inherently worthwhile to me, the older the better. I prefer hardcovers--unless I'm traveling--and I destroy books with markings, notes and marginal questions unless I think the book has some value. As I wandered over the last months, I found two books I had been thinking of as gifts, one a good hard cover of "Killer Angels"--exactly what I wanted--and a second book, much rarer, "Camp of the Saints", an English translation of the notorious French original that has been vilified for the last generation but nonetheless raises a very interesting and ugly question. I had not seen either one in any condition in months--the "Camp" never. I grabbed them both and gave them both as gifts.
The problem is that the Killer Angels had a dedication on the front page. I saw that; I just did not care. I would have cared if it had been a book I wanted to collect because the market values the pristine; I must confess I do not. I think the history of a book adds to it. (I do not think scars do. Nor do I like books with the awful library stickers--although the famous book thief, John Gilkey, specialized in them.)

While I was thrilled that I found a book of good quality at all, I think my friend was surprised and disappointed by the dedication. Perhaps it was the difference between a new and used car. At any rate, I think, had I to do it again, I would not do it.