James Earl Jones: Voices and Silences

Norwalk, CT: The Easton Press, 1993. Signed First Edition. Leather Bound. Very Good. SIGNED. 394pp. Octavo [24 cm] Full red leather with raised bands, a gilt stamped title on the spine, and elaborate gilt stamped designs on the spine and covers. All edges gilt. Moire endsheets. Silk ribbon page marker. Light scuffing to foot of boards. Easton Press bookplate on front pastedown (no name has been filled in). Part of the Signed First Editions series. Signed by James Earl Jones on a tipped-in page at the front.

Actor James Earl Jones's career spanned over six decades. He is well known for his roles such as Mufasa in "The Lion King" and Darth Vader in "Star Wars." In this autobiography, Jones relates his childhood in rural 1930s Mississippi and the family's move to Jackson, Michigan. There, he grappled with a stutter he was so ashamed of that he "withdrew further into silence, gradually relinquishing the power of speech" for nearly eight years. His retelling of how his high school English teacher helped him overcome his silence by encouraging him to read poetry aloud to the class, consequently spawning the development of Jones celebrated voice, is a highlight of Jones's story.