Signed Books & their inscriptions

[MartH]

A rather interesting volume I've managed to obtain from the latest Turner Donovan catalogue.

Official History of Australia in the War : Vol.III The A.I.F. In France 1916. Published in Sydney in 1929, it's not a particularly scarce volume but this copy belonged to J.E.Edmonds who was responsible for producing the British Official History. The first of his own volumes on 1916 came out in 1932 & It seems he was using this book to gather background information for that, particularly as it came with some 8 pages of pencilled notes written on Historical Section (Military Branch) headed notepaper. Unfortunately his handwriting is not terribly clear so it's a struggle to read.

This could be quite important, Edmonds did have disagreements with Bean, but was a very staunch supporter of him. In fact he had to write in the Australian press publicly supporting him, some of the Australian Military establishment were not ardent supporters, as they are now. This was in the 1930's after one of the volumes was published. I wonder if this adds more to that story.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

I bought this copy of the History of the 2/1st London Field Ambulance at the recent Military Bookfair in London. It's a fairly scarce book (although I now find one on ABE at half what I paid for this one!). What makes it interesting are the two insertions praising the work of the units commander, Lt. Col. Charles Brebner. I'll have to put these on in 2 posts.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

The other letter.

[Deckape]

Hi

Im another late arrival to this topic, also like to collect the first editions of books ( one of the aforementioned 10 perhaps ! ), anyway I don't have anything like some of the previous posts but do have the following signed :

Johnny Get Your Gun - John F Tucker. 1st in DJ - Dedicated " To my friend Norman Revell, with the authors compliments and best wishes "John Francis Tucker ( Jack ) 6/7/79. It would seem that Norman and John corresponded as stuck inside is a photo of Major Dickens grave by Leuze Wood with a small paragraph by Norman relating to it and his writing to John.

A Schoolmaster at War - Major R T Rees. Also first in DJ. "With the authors best wishes" R T Rees 7.7.41.

As From Kemmel Hill - Arthur Behrend - First DJ. Signed " B B Khambatta from Arthur Behrend " I have Arthurs first book too, Make me a Soldier, but that one isn't signed.

All the best, happy hunting !

Lastly 12 Days by Sidney Rogerson. First Ed. Not signed by Sidney but by a Lieut F B Kenworthy, 2nd West Yorks. There is also a post it note attached inside stating that the above Lieut was Private F B Kenworthy of the 6th Gloucesters. I've not read this book for awhile so perhaps he is mentioned inside, or maybe its just his copy ? Nice touch anyway.

Edited 26 January , 2016 by Smoke Eater

[StevenV]

I think I bought this copy of Four Years Beneath the Crescent by Rafael de Nogales (translated from the Spanish by Muna Lee) from an excellent military book seller in New York in pre-internet days when lists would arrive by post and orders placed by sending $US in sealed envelopes. Enclosed was a note by the author presenting this copy to Dr Isaiah Bowman "friend of Latin America". While Nogales, a Venezuelan 'adventurer' who served with the Ottoman army during the war, has cropped up on this forum before, both Isiah Bowman and the translator Muna Lee are interesting characters and worth a quick search on Wikipedia.

Steve

[Dust Jacket Collector]

I bought this today in my local bookshop, Much Ado Books in Alfriston. They've recently acquired the late Denis Healey's library & this one seemed to be most relevant. It's Kenneth Baker's anthology of War Poetry that he produced for Faber in 1996 & it's inscribed by him to Denis - one ex-Minister to another & both former members of the Royal Artillery. For anyone wanting some of the former Chancellors books there are loads to chose from at very reasonable prices. In most cases Denis has marked passages of interest to himself. I bought his copy of Wilfrid Owen's poems with many underlinings for a mere £12.50.

[rflory]

I have a copy of Cullum's Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the US Military Academy at West Point, NY, Supplement Volume VI (1910-1920) signed on the inside front cover by General Peyton C. March who was the Army Chief of Staff from May 1918 to June 1921.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

I bought this copy of Swinton's 'Eyewitness'  the other day. It was published by Hodder in 1932. Swinton claimed to have been responsible for the introduction of the Tank into the War, although I think that claim is rather  dismissed these days. It's inscribed by the author to a friend, but unbeknownst to the dealer there were several letters from Swinton inserted at the rear of the book. Sadly they don't concern the War but are asking for advice on investing in a firm called 'Telsen'. Apparently they made self-build radio kits. Hopefully he didn't put his money into it as they went out of business a couple of years later!

[Black Maria]

On ‎19‎/‎06‎/‎2016 at 19:42, Dust Jacket Collector said:

I bought this copy of Swinton's 'Eyewitness'  the other day. It was published by Hodder in 1932. Swinton claimed to have been responsible for the introduction of the Tank into the War, although I think that claim is rather  dismissed these days. It's inscribed by the author to a friend, but unbeknownst to the dealer there were several letters from Swinton inserted at the rear of the book. Sadly they don't concern the War but are asking for advice on investing in a firm called 'Telsen'. Apparently they made self-build radio kits. Hopefully he didn't put his money into it as they went out of business a couple of years later!

Jackets showing WW1 tanks are some of my favourites for some reason , it's always great when you find something of interest inserted inside a book and

the Swinton letters are a great find. I once found the attached leaflet inside a copy of 'From Mons to Loos' , nothing special but it does give a flavour of the time

the book was published. On another subject, rather than finding things inside books, do you always check a new purchase to make sure all the pages are there

and the illustrations / frontis are present ?. To be honest in the early days of collecting I didn't usually bother, until I received a copy of a quite expensive and

rare memoir from a dealer and realised a page had been torn out . I have also received a copy of an early aviation memoir which due to a printing error had

several pages missing and an illustration also ( I found out later that at least one other collector had also found this on his copy)

[Dust Jacket Collector]

The lecture on food economy sounds interesting. I'll try and persuade my wife to attend!

I must say I don't always check the contents, but I should. I suppose it depends how cheap the book was as to whether I can be bothered to send it back. What especially irks me is dealers playing fast and loose with the term 'first edition'. Yesterday a collection of detective stories arrived, described as 1st edition 1939. Would that it were. They failed to mention the words 'sixth impression & 1957', but it was only £15, it's in a nice jacket & I'd already thrown away the packaging. Just lazy I suppose.

[barkalotloudly]

always a disappointment when you when the latest purchase arrives.....and then it turns out you already have a copy!! Blunden`s` book "Short stories of the Great War"  limited edition signed by him !

 

[Black Maria]

30 minutes ago, Dust Jacket Collector said:

The lecture on food economy sounds interesting. I'll try and persuade my wife to attend!

I must say I don't always check the contents, but I should. I suppose it depends how cheap the book was as to whether I can be bothered to send it back. What especially irks me is dealers playing fast and loose with the term 'first edition'. Yesterday a collection of detective stories arrived, described as 1st edition 1939. Would that it were. They failed to mention the words 'sixth impression & 1957', but it was only £15, it's in a nice jacket & I'd already thrown away the packaging. Just lazy I suppose.

I expect it was standing room only at that meeting with every Englishwoman in attendance, on the subject of first editions , not being that fussed as long as

they're original, I hadn't thought of the minefield it must be if you collect just firsts . Maybe you could forgive a slightly later impression slipping through but

not being printed nearly twenty years later than that advertised.

[Black Maria]

29 minutes ago, barkalotloudly said:

always a disappointment when you when the latest purchase arrives.....and then it turns out you already have a copy!! Blunden`s` book "Short stories of the Great War"  limited edition signed by him !

 

I must say it's never happened to me yet , but I do keep a list of my books and looking at it the other day there were a few there that I'd forgotten about.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

8 minutes ago, Black Maria said:

I expect it was standing room only at that meeting with every Englishwoman in attendance, on the subject of first editions , not being that fussed as long as

they're original, I hadn't thought of the minefield it must be if you collect just firsts . Maybe you could forgive a slightly later impression slipping through but

not being printed nearly twenty years later than that advertised.

If the book is rare enough and issued around the same time then that's OK. My copies of Hitchcock's 'Stand To' & Hickey's 'Rolling into Action' are both 2nd impressions, but they're both in jackets & only a month or so later. But as you say 20 years is pushing it!

[Black Maria]

Just now, Dust Jacket Collector said:

If the book is rare enough and issued around the same time then that's OK. My copies of Hitchcock's 'Stand To' & Hickey's 'Rolling into Action' are both 2nd impressions, but they're both in jackets & only a month or so later. But as you say 20 years is pushing it!

Yes , I expect you could wait forever for a first of those two in jackets. Although I did manage to find a first edition of 'Stand To' in it's jacket on

e-bay a couple of years ago , surprisingly I was the only bidder !

[Seadog]

From a Bristol bookshop and I did not notice the inscription luckily neither did the owner

 

First edition of the experiences of the RFC / RAF Fighter Pilot Wing Commander Gwilym H Lewis DFC during the Great War. This copy is also signed by the author who died on the 18th December 1996 age 99. At the time of his death he was the last survivor of the Royal Flying Corps and their last "Ace" with 12 victories.

 

Norman

[Black Maria]

3 hours ago, Seadog said:

From a Bristol bookshop and I did not notice the inscription luckily neither did the owner

 

First edition of the experiences of the RFC / RAF Fighter Pilot Wing Commander Gwilym H Lewis DFC during the Great War. This copy is also signed by the author who died on the 18th December 1996 age 99. At the time of his death he was the last survivor of the Royal Flying Corps and their last "Ace" with 12 victories.

 

Norman

Nice find ! , it must have been a good feeling when you realised it was an inscribed copy. Didn't the honour of being the last ace go to Cecil Lewis , who died

in January 1997 aged 98 ?

[Seadog]

Hiya

 

The detail is from the obit in the Telegraph at the time, At the risk of extending this topic into a classic I understand that Lewis had a score of 8 but no doubt someone will have other opinions

 

Norman

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Bought an interesting book from the latest Turner Donovan catalogue. Keith Henderson's excellent account of his time with the South Notts Hussars 'Letters to Helen' with his atmospheric watercolours of the battlefields. The Helen of the title was his wife, and this copy is Henderson's own inscribed to his wife 'Joan with very great love from Darby' with his signature on the half title. Rather nice, I thought.

[Black Maria]

Nice buy Alan, there were some choice items in the latest catalogue, I just wish I had deeper pockets !

[barkalotloudly]

surely the best inscription you can ever hope to find in a scarce book........from the adjutant of an Indian regiment "please take care of this book as it is the only copy still in existence" whether it is ? {2nd Sikhs} printed 1923

[Dust Jacket Collector]

That would do it for me.

[Matthew B.]

On ‎04‎/‎08‎/‎2016 at 12:57, barkalotloudly said:

surely the best inscription you can ever hope to find in a scarce book........from the adjutant of an Indian regiment "please take care of this book as it is the only copy still in existence" whether it is ? {2nd Sikhs} printed 1923

 

That is unusual. Could you post the full details of the book please?

Thanks

Matthew

[barkalotloudly]

2nd Sikhs 12th frontier force regiment [it is actually a letter attached to the front end paper] the book was printed in India  Perkins does list this volume    

[Grandpacarr]

I do have several signed books the latest one being "The Lonsdale Battalion" by Colin Bardgett 1st edition, 1993