Stephen Hawking

A first edition, first printing of My Brief History by Stephen Hawking, bearing the author's thumbprint.

• Stephen Hawking (English).
• New York: Bantam Books, 2013.
• Black ink thumbprint by Hawking.
• Illustrated.
• Hardbound, with the unclipped dust jacket.

Hawking’s thumb print appears to a clear area of the title-page with a black ink annotation "With best wishes Stephen Hawking”, with the witness stamp of Jeanna Lee York and signed by her, together with an white card insert headed Stephen Hawking.

Jeanna Lee York was Stephen Hawking's former Executive Assistant (PA) and a close friend, until his death in March 2018, managing his busy schedule, events, and communications, and sharing a unique bond marked by laughter despite his condition. She described working with him as a "once in a lifetime experience" and considered herself fortunate to have been part of his life during that period, often seen alongside him in his office, assisting with his famous speech synthesis technology.