Taps at Reveille

New York: Scribners, 1935. First Edition, First Issue. This was the office file copy of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s agent, Harold Ober, to whom this book is dedicated with his bookplate affixed to the front free endpaper and with the Harold Ober Associates stamp at the front pastedown. Fitzgerald did not inscribe a copy of this book to Ober, so this volume is the closest thing to a dedication copy. Very good copy with some minor edge wear and a bit of fraying to the cloth at the top and bottom of the spine in a very good plus bright dust jacket with a hint of dust soiling and age toning, mainly to the spine and rear panel. Harold Ober (1881 - 1951) was one of America’s most respected and successful literary agents. He represented such distinguished authors as William Faulkner, and is perhaps best known for both his professional and personal association with F. Scott Fitzgerald. Ober’s relationship with Fitzgerald was particularly close and supportive, and like any complex alliance, it suffered through occasional bouts of conflict and contention. Over the years Ober played an integral role in the cultivation of Fitzgerald’s career, offering professional counsel and financial assistance, often giving him advances against unsold stories. After Fitzgerald’s wife Zelda was institutionalized, Harold and Anne Ober stepped in as virtual foster parents to the Fitzgerald’s young daughter, Scottie. When Fitzgerald died suddenly in Hollywood, CA while working on The Last Tycoon, his companion Sheilah Graham’s first call was to Ober, with whom Scottie was staying, informing him of the sad news. Ober then called Zelda Fitzgerald in Montgomery, AL. The Obers continued their affection and support of Scottie, including lending her money so that she could complete her education at Vassar. All in all, Fitzgerald and Ober were clearly a dynamic literary force, and without question helped to bring modern American literature forward with intelligence, commitment, and style.