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New book delves into the history of the Jeep

"Warbaby - The True Story of the Original Jeep" is a new book from Alaska author William Spears. The book traces the history of the Jeep, which is rooted in Butler.

Author William Spears is set to debut his new book “Warbaby – The True Story of the Original Jeep” which is a culmination of 15 years of hard work that tells of the humble beginnings of the infamous vehicle that is rooted in Butler.

Spears, a Juneau, Alaska native, tells the story of the first Jeep which emerged from the American Bantam Car Co. on Sept. 21, 1940 in Butler. The vehicle then went off to the Army for testing and would later become known as one of the most decisive weapons of World War II.

The jeep is considered one of the most elegant American industrial designs of the 20th century.

Spears is a graduate of Georgetown School of Foreign Service and Nebraska College of Law. He worked as assistant attorney general in Alaska in 1968 and also as a field solicitor for the Department of the Interior. He also held a post as deputy commissioner of labor and was chairman of the board of trustees of a major venture capital bank endowed with 5 percent of the state of Alaska's oil royalties.

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