Instrument of Thy Peace by Alan Paton

Instrument of Thy Peace (Seabury Press 1968 Edition in Dust Jacket)

Alan Paton's Reflective Meditations on the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Instrument of Thy Peace: Meditations prompted by the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, "Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace."
• Author: Alan Paton
• Publisher: The Seabury Press, New York
• Publication Date: 1968
• Binding: Publisher's black cloth boards with mustard-yellow cloth spine panel, in dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Small octavo, approximately 20 x 14 cm, a slim volume. No maps or plates.
• Language: English

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Very Good (VG)
• Exterior / Boards: The black cloth boards, seen beneath the jacket, are clean with a few small pale specks and scuffs. The mustard-yellow cloth spine panel is straight and firm. Corners and edges are not remarkable.
• Interior: The text block is sound and the book opens well. The pages are toned cream to yellowish, with light toning to the page edges and a few small brown foxing spots on the chapter 16 page (p. 91). The title page is clean. Apart from the ownership signature on the front endpaper, no markings are present.
• Provenance: Black ink signature on the front endpaper, reading approximately "Robert Cupertoos", underlined.
• The Dust Jacket: Present, black with cream and orange lettering, and protected in a durable archival-type plastic cover. The jacket is worn: several creases and tears along the top edge and corners of the front and back panels, a long tear on the front panel near the title, chipping and rubbing at the spine ends and head, edge wear, surface scuffing and scratches, and some toning. The back panel carries a black and white portrait photograph of Alan Paton.

Synopsis & Historical Value

Instrument of Thy Peace, published by The Seabury Press of New York in 1968, is a set of reflective meditations by the South African writer Alan Paton. Each is prompted by a line of the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, "Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace."

Paton explores faith, peace, love and service to others, and addresses hard questions about life. The book also includes nineteen original prayers by the author. It is a quiet, devotional counterpart to the better-known fiction and political writing of a man who spent his public life opposing apartheid.

For collectors of Alan Paton, this is a slim and personal volume, and a worthwhile companion to Cry, the Beloved Country on the shelf of a Paton collection.

Author Profile: Alan Paton

Alan Stewart Paton (1903-1988) was a South African writer and anti-apartheid activist. He is best known for his novels Cry, the Beloved Country (1948) and Too Late the Phalarope (1953).

He served as president of the Liberal Party from 1953 until it disbanded in 1968, and the government withdrew his passport in 1960. Between 1948 and 1989 he published nineteen books.

Alan Paton Instrument of Thy Peace · Alan Paton 1968 Seabury Press · Prayer of St Francis meditations · Alan Paton religious writings · Alan Paton hardcover with dust jacket · collectible Alan Paton book