Forty years to find my missing books

[piegrande]

Families are all different. Mine was one of the other type.

In 1964, I was drafted into the Army. I got a nice, old fashioned chest and put in the sort of things one would want to keep. Some books, some kitchen utilities, things like that.

I was going to put a padlock on it, but my mother insisted everything would be fine, and leave it open in case I needed them to send me something.

Well, everything was fine. So fine that when I came home, the chest was empty. I walked around the house picking up my cookware and such things as that.

But, there were two books that went missing. Of course, someone did tell me who took them, but that did me little good.

One was called something like CHILDREN OF THE ATOM. Not a real important book but at that age it appealed to me. Parents in the 50's, in this fictional book, were exposed to nuclear radiation in an accident, and their kids were born with extremely high i.q.s. They ran businesses; wrote books; bought things; by mail.

The book told how they found each other, and what happened after that.

The other book, I can't remember the name, but it was pure science fiction. A space ship of passengers was hijacked by pirates, and they were abandoned on a very high gravity planet.

They not only survived, they also re-developed technology, and memorized space ship operating manuals. Eventually, they sent out messages by hyper-radio, and when the pirates came back, now in control of most of the universe, they took over their fighter ships.With great resistance to gravity developed over the generation, they over-rode the controls, and were able to out-maneuver the enemy craft, taking once again control of the universe.

I looked for those books for years. I mean like 40 years, and not too long ago found them both.

Of course, being a much older person, they don't mean as much to me as many years ago. Still, I enjoyed reading them very much, and really felt good at finding them again. I am well aware if they had not been stolen, I probably would have pitched them decades ago.

 

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[truckinbutch]

Know whatyou mean . I have an affinity for the "Banner Boy Scout"series for many of the same reasons .
Jim

 

[spartacus53]

piegrande, I have to agree with the power books had as a child. I still have my first book that was bought as a Christmas gift in 1963.. It was from the Landmark history collection "The Battle of Britain", over the next 2 years I would have nearly 1/2 of their collection.

Several years later I paid $0.75 cents for a used 1st edition of Rasputin The Holy Devil, which I still have to this day. During that same period I started collecting my Civil War book collection with the works of Catton, Burke and several other authors. They are still my babies

 

[piegrande]

In the 1950's my dad used to bring home novels from the early 20th Century, and I loved to read them. As an adult, I collected many of them, often for 50 cents or so each.

In 1997, I retired and moved to southern Texas. I realized I would eventually be moving to Mexico, so donated them to my daughter, who also loved them. Once she got them in new strong shelves designed for the weight, she investigated and learned many were first editions, now with high demand. She added the values and paid a rider on her house insurance for a value over $5000.

I would be surprised if I paid more than $100 for all of them.

 

[piegrande]

I think I found the second book in digital form, on MANY BOOKS. I wrote above that I found both books, but serious storage defects in my Mexican house seems to hide them.

 

[piegrande]

Oops! I forgot to tell the name of the second book. Many Books lists it as SPACE PRISON.

 

[Hillbilly Prince]

Oops! I forgot to tell the name of the second book. Many Books lists it as SPACE PRISON.

I love books. Will always prefer them to electronice media. My old man brought home books all the time, but only read the Bible or or related.
I have an old book called Shift To High. Old book for teens representative of the fifties teen books. Very dated I've lost books, but thanks to Amazon and other sources I have found old treasures like Mrs Wiggs Of the Cabbage Patch, Hound Dog Man, The Little Bear.

 

[piegrande]

I certainly agree, Hillbilly, that a book is better than a computer screen. But, only when practical. In my case, when I moved to Mexico, my beautiful collection of early 20th Century popular novels was simply not practical to take with me.

And, living in a Third World mountain village, there is no practical way to order many books at any price.

When I think of reading, the image enters my mind of holding a book in my hands, and flipping through the pages. In the case of old books, even the smell is a good thought. None of this is usable where I live. But, via Internet (faster here than in McAllen, Texas) I can get tens of thousands of books if I desire.

 

[Gare]

Families are all different. Mine was one of the other type.

In 1964, I was drafted into the Army. I got a nice, old fashioned chest and put in the sort of things one would want to keep. Some books, some kitchen utilities, things like that.

I was going to put a padlock on it, but my mother insisted everything would be fine, and leave it open in case I needed them to send me something.

Well, everything was fine. So fine that when I came home, the chest was empty. I walked around the house picking up my cookware and such things as that.

But, there were two books that went missing. Of course, someone did tell me who took them, but that did me little good.

One was called something like CHILDREN OF THE ATOM. Not a real important book but at that age it appealed to me. Parents in the 50's, in this fictional book, were exposed to nuclear radiation in an accident, and their kids were born with extremely high i.q.s. They ran businesses; wrote books; bought things; by mail.

The book told how they found each other, and what happened after that.

The other book, I can't remember the name, but it was pure science fiction. A space ship of passengers was hijacked by pirates, and they were abandoned on a very high gravity planet.

They not only survived, they also re-developed technology, and memorized space ship operating manuals. Eventually, they sent out messages by hyper-radio, and when the pirates came back, now in control of most of the universe, they took over their fighter ships.With great resistance to gravity developed over the generation, they over-rode the controls, and were able to out-maneuver the enemy craft, taking once again control of the universe.

I looked for those books for years. I mean like 40 years, and not too long ago found them both.

Of course, being a much older person, they don't mean as much to me as many years ago. Still, I enjoyed reading them very much, and really felt good at finding them again. I am well aware if they had not been stolen, I probably would have pitched them decades ago.

If i had any of them i would give them to you :P)

I Thank you for your service