GALBRAITH, John Kenneth.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

A China Passage. First British edition, first impression, presentation copy, inscribed on the half-title, "To the Provost of Kirkcaldy as a souvenir of a most pleasant visit to Kirkcaldy and to Scotland. John Kenneth Galbraith, 1973". Pasted to the verso is a typed letter signed from publisher André Deutsch stating that, "Professor Galbraith asked me to send you a copy of A China Passage which [he] has dedicated to you".The recipient of this copy was John B. Kay OBE, provost from 1972 and the last person to hold the position, with his ownership inscription on the front free endpaper verso. On 5 and 6 June 1973, with the support of Kay, Kirkcaldy - the hometown of Adam Smith - hosted a symposium commemorating the 250th anniversary of Smith's birth, with the many distinguished attendees including Arthur F. Burns, chairman of the US Federal Reserve Board, Lord O'Brien, governor of the Bank of England, Deutsch, and economists such as Friedrich Hayek and Galbraith. Addressing the symposium, Galbraith observed that, "With 'Das Kapital' and the Bible, 'Wealth of Nations' enjoys the distinction of being one of the three books to which people may refer at will without feeling they should have read it" (quoted in the New York Times).Deutsch's full letter, dated 12 June 1973, reads: "Dear Mr Kay: I want to thank you for inviting me to the symposium, I greatly enjoyed my visit to Kirkcaldy. Professor Galbraith asked me to send you a copy of A China Passage which [he] has dedicated to you

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