Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Favourite Book Jacket


Dust Jacket Collector

Recommended Posts

1 hour ago, David Filsell said:

There really is something very special about the quality - the graphic design - of many book jackets produced between the wars and, sadly most of the artists are not named.

Indeed, they can often be particularly striking. You rather feel they just can't be bothered these days. I'm off to France for a week but I'll try and post some more when I get back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Master Dent proves to be an interesting lad.  If we take on par the documents in his 136 page service file (which included some forms I have never seen before), Dent enlisted at age 15, a tall skinny boy.  Experienced shell shock, chlorine and mustard gas, scabies, PUO, Tuberculosis.  In July 1917, he was sentenced to five years penal servitude for desertion, commuted to 90 days FP1 because of his age and medical condition.  Discharged as medically unfit, with bad character.  And then he wanted to go to Siberia!  And was accepted.  "always appeared to be most simple minded with no concentration of thoughts." "This boy has spent 5 months in France.  Was gassed at the Somme.  He was buried in a mine shaft for 13 days and was at last dug out.  He was ??? some gassed soldiers in the mine shaft when an exploding shell covered them in."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Although clearly intended to shock, this cover bespeaks a theme that was an unfortunate realty.

 

Dust%20Jacket_zpsgvjz6sav.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

This is my new favourite jacket as it arrived this morning after many years of searching. It's a first-hand account by one Howard Vincent O'Brien, an American journalist who joined the AEF as a 1st Lt. in the Artillery. Keen to lead his men into battle he finds himself spending most of his time in the back areas, mostly Paris, hence the title with War being the minor part of his experiences. Published by Heinemann in 1927, the jacket is by Romney Towndrow who did 1 or 2 other WW1 jackets before going on to be a prominent art critic.

wine women and war.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Black Maria said:

Nice !

The only other time I saw it was in an old John Marrin catalogue years ago but like so many books back then I couldn't afford it & now I've had to pay far more!

As an aside does anyone understand US postal charges? This book came from California, was in a shoebox sized parcel with loads of padding, came express airmail in less than a week & cost about £15. Yet I've had other dealers quoting me £35 or £40 to send a slim pamphlet & saying it's the cheapest option available. Do the rates vary hugely in different states I wonder?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been informed that certain on-line sellers in the US of A up the price by quoting excessive charges for P&P and make a wee bit extra that way. To the best of my knowledge, postage from each and every State is identical. The moral passed on to me by a US of A mate is only use reputable suppliers...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Dust Jacket Collector said:

The only other time I saw it was in an old John Marrin catalogue years ago but like so many books back then I couldn't afford it & now I've had to pay far more!

As an aside does anyone understand US postal charges? This book came from California, was in a shoebox sized parcel with loads of padding, came express airmail in less than a week & cost about £15. Yet I've had other dealers quoting me £35 or £40 to send a slim pamphlet & saying it's the cheapest option available. Do the rates vary hugely in different states I wonder?

I certainly is a great jacket and one I've never seen before. Because of space I don't collect A.E.F memoirs , but if I did it would go straight on to my wants list.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On ‎06‎/‎09‎/‎2016 at 19:44, gordon92 said:

Although clearly intended to shock, this cover bespeaks a theme that was an unfortunate realty.

 

Dust%20Jacket_zpsgvjz6sav.jpg

 

Only just picked up on this one: that is the first GW book I ever bought. I remember taking it on a Sunday School outing (local Baptists - it probably still shows) to read on the coach. That would have been about 1965. Is that correct, or is the memory playing tricks?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

AJ P's book first in hardback in 1963, first Penguin edition, with the cover above, 1966, so you are not far off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking back I suppose it was an odd choice for an 11 year-old on a Baptist Sunday School jolly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Black Maria said:

Very pleased to have found this one.

 

Great jacket,BM. The paper must have been especially brittle as it always turns up looking a little damaged.

Edited by Dust Jacket Collector
Missing word
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Dust Jacket Collector said:

Great jacket,BM. The paper must have been especially brittle as it always turns up looking a little damaged.

Thanks DJC , to be honest it was more robust than I was expecting . I had assumed it would have been more flimsy as so few examples appear

to have survived . It is one of my favourites , Hutchinson produced some excellent jackets during this period ( Haunting years, Cannon fodder ) ,

it's just a shame their books seem to be more prone to foxing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Steven Broomfield said:

 

Only just picked up on this one: that is the first GW book I ever bought. I remember taking it on a Sunday School outing (local Baptists - it probably still shows) to read on the coach. That would have been about 1965. Is that correct, or is the memory playing tricks?

 

5 hours ago, paulgranger said:

AJ P's book first in hardback in 1963, first Penguin edition, with the cover above, 1966, so you are not far off.

 

This may have been the first GW book I also bought or among the first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Today's favourite jacket in that I've only seen it once before many years ago. First published in 1929, the quality of the pictures far surpasses that of the two more recent printings. I don't think any subsequent volume of War memorials has improved on it.

Interestingly this copy is in a light cream cloth whereas every other one I've seen was in blue.

hurst silent cities.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just as a matter of interest, is it on larger paper than the blue-cloth issues?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, seaJane said:

Just as a matter of interest, is it on larger paper than the blue-cloth issues?

No. Exactly the same in all dimensions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks. I've occasionally found a cream binding treated as the 'posh' option - larger size, more gilt etc etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I no sooner list this book in the 'Most Keen to Find' thread than 2 copies turn up on consecutive days. The first one at a rather too stiff £350, listed as jacketed but didn't have, & this one at £23 which seemed a little more enticing. Carstairs was an American who served in the 3rd Grenadiers. The first edition of 1930 is quite scarce & was quickly followed by a revised 2nd edition a few months later. Both jacket images are by Sir William Orpen.

generation missing 1st.jpg      wp5d2785ec_1b.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do like the original jacket , here is my copy of the new impression , what a silly place to put the reduced price sticker !

a generation missing forum.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is another from my collection , quite scarce in itself but I have never seen another in it's jacket.

unconventional soldier forum.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting that the second edition of the Carstairs clearly didn't sell well. Maybe 2 editions in the same year was too much & there were rather a lot of similar titles to chose from in 1930.

Like the Fuller; yours still the only copy I've seen. Hope to find a decent copy of his Tank book one day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, Dust Jacket Collector said:

Interesting that the second edition of the Carstairs clearly didn't sell well. Maybe 2 editions in the same year was too much & there were rather a lot of similar titles to chose from in 1930.

Like the Fuller; yours still the only copy I've seen. Hope to find a decent copy of his Tank book one day.

Yes it was a good year to pick up a bargain, if only I had a time machine !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...