The Lexington: A Fighting Carrier's Last Hours in the Coral Sea

Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 1971. Hardcover. 8vo. Black paper over boards with gilt spine lettering, pictorial dust jacket. 208pp. Illustrations. Fine/fine. Wonderfully bright and tight undated (likely 1990s) reprint edition of this account first published by Prentice-Hall in 1971 -- and bearing choice autograph addition: Tipped to front flyleaf is an Autograph Note Signed from Hoehling, heavy stock 5½" X 3¼" picture postcard, n.p., n.y. (postal cancellation Portland, ME, 3 November 1958). Addressed to noted Lincoln/Civil War scholar Arnold F. Gates (1914-3). Very good. "Good to hear from you & I'll be at The Lambs Club at Time & Place indicated. I hope your members won't hate you for this." Boldly penned in blue ink and signed with his nickname "Dolph" (for "Adolph"). Gates was long-time officer of the New York City Civil War Round Table and likely lined up Hoehling to discuss his latest book, the 1958 release "Last Train from Atlanta." Hoehling (1914-2004) was a prolific writer, historian, journalist and editor who authored many volumes of Civil War and World War One and Two histories. Picture side depicts unidentified black-and-white photograph of what appears to be a turn-of-the-century big city train station.