Beschreibung:

Aristocracy and the Meaning of Class Rule. An Essay upon Aristocracy Past and Future, by Philippe Mairet, 1st edition, 1931, numerous marginal pencil marks and comments in English in the neat and legible hand of the Kaiser, a little spotting, heaviest to title and advert leaf at rear, hinges cracked, original two-tone cloth gilt, slightly rubbed and nicked at head and foot of spine, tall 8vo, together with an autograph postcard signed from Kaiser Wilhelm, Doorn, 1931, to Philip Morrell, written in English in purple pencil across the whole of the back of the postcard beginning 'According to your wish expressed in your kind letter I studied the book "Aristocracy" which treats about everything else except Aristocracy. The author furnishes his readers with a striking example of what may become of man when he eliminates God, Saviour, Bible, Faith and Belief from his life and claps his immortal soul "under hatches"...', an autograph letter signed from Ottoline Morrell's cousin Count Goddard Bentinck, 21 September 1931, to the author Philip and sending the letter with this copy of the book 'which you kindly lent the Emperor, which I hope will reach you safely. His Majesty has written many annotations in it, which I am sure will interest you...', 3 pp., 8vo, plus 4 black and white snapshots of the Kaiser and his wife by Lady Ottoline Morrell, taken in Holland, 1932, details to versos, each 8 x 11 cm Ottoline Morrell met the Kaiser in Holland when staying with her cousin Count Goddard Bentinck and wrote in her journal: 'He enters an exceedingly impressive figure, with a remarkably handsome head, a sailor like body - shorter than I had imagined but the head much finer - very alert and obviously histrionic and vain, but too cultivated and clever to show it...'. The Kaiser's annotations in the book take the author to task repeatedly and he writes several hundred words at the end of chapter 3. When the author talks about natural rulers and what makes them such, the Kaiser's comments in the margins include: 'nonsense!', 'because they feel it a Heavenimposed task!', 'prescribed by the Christian religion!', 'based upon the responsibility to Heaven'. His final comment at the foot of the last page is: 'This book is unmitigated, atheistic, spiritual Bolshevism'. Provenance: From the collection of Philip and Lady Ottoline Morrell and then by descent. (7)