Djamila Boupacha
New York: Macmillan Company, 1962. 1st US Edition. Octavo, publisher’s black cloth, spine gilt, top edge stained red, original illustrated dust jacket.
"Ce qu’il y a de plus scandaleux dans le scandale c’est qu’on s’y habitue" (The most scandalous part of scandal is the getting used to it). First US edition of French feminist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir and Tunisian-born French lawyer Gisèle Halimi’s testimonial text dedicated to Djamila Boupacha, an Algerian FLN militant who was tortured and raped by the French Army. Originating as a letter Beauvoir published in Le Monde in 1960 accusing the French government of covering up the brutal treatment of Boupacha, the text comprises Beauvoir’s essay, a biography of Boupacha and description of the case by Halimi, alongside statements by prominent intellectuals of the era such as Henri Alleg, Jules Roy, and Françoise Sagan. Beauvoir’s public pursuit of the case (which was encouraged by Halimi) and support of Boupacha was instrumental in inciting public outrage over the French military's acts of torture in Algeria. Dust jacket and frontispiece illustrations by Picasso, who also publicly supported Boupacha. Illustrated in black-and-white with photos of Boupacha and her family. Originally published in France the same year. Price-clipped dust jacket with chipping to spine-ends, and a few small nicks to edges. Very good. Item #6493
$150.00