Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book

This is a review I placed in Amazon.com and since I am the author, I am giving you an edited version of the same. This hymnal was printed in 1909 by the American Lutheran Publication Board in Pittsburgh and published by the English Evangelical Lutheran Synod that later joined the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) to become the present day English District thereof. It contributed to the mostly German speaking LCMS its English language hymnal that Concordia Publishing House, LCMS's publishing arm, produced without changes in 1918.
The copy I purchased is trigesimo-segundo (5.5 x 3.5 in. pages) leather bound with a black pebbled finish, with sewn signatures and gold edging. For a century old book that was used, albeit moderately, it is in fairly good shape, with the leather worn in the corners and the pages yellowed but very secure. Then again, hymnals published back then were intended to last until Christ's Second Coming.
Missouri Synod Lutherans will find this hymnal very familiar. The agenda for Divine Service with Holy Communion, Matins and Vespers are at the beginning. However, the hymn section is quite different. It contains only the lyrics, no music. The indices are primitive compared to what the current hymnals contain.
However, this old hymnal offers a few treasures not found elsewhere. For example, it has all twelve verses of Paul Gerhardt's "Warum sollt ich mich denn grämen?" in English as "Why Should Sorrows Ever Grieve Me?" The 20th and 21st century hymnals provide only selected verses of this most comforting hymn.
Confessional Lutheran pastors, choir directors organists and laypersons for whom the historic Lutheran hymnody is a burning passion should definitely purchase this hymnal and its successor editions.