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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Rats Alley reprint


WilliamRev

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Peter Chasseaud's book Rats Alley, a gazeteer to around 10,000 Western Front trenches, has been mentioned frequently on this forum, although it is currently out of print, and second-hand copies are vastly expensive.

I have just looked through The History Press website, and notice that it has reappeared in their catalogue, and they seem to be taking pre-orders for a reprint, although no specific date is mentioned. Details are HERE for anyone interested.

William

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Wow, they are expensive, I'd forgotten that was on my bookshelf.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I contacted the publishers about two years ago whether a reprint was planned? they replied that a reprint was not planned.

John

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  • 1 year later...

Just noticed on Amazon that it is due out on August 3rd , published in hardback by the History Press at £40.

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1 hour ago, Black Maria said:

Just noticed on Amazon that it is due out on August 3rd , published in hardback by the History Press at £40.

 

That's great news, and it is a expanded edition I see (HERE), but £40 is quite a lot....eek.

 

William

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6 hours ago, spof said:

 

True but not as bad as the £176 being asked for a used copy.

 

Spof-  2 comments on this:

 

1)   As per the "Four Yorkshiremen" in Monty Python-  You were lucky!

       The most expensive copy listed on Tinternet appears to be:

 

Book Bazaar
via
AbeBooks

CanadaHardcover, ISBN 186227276X
Publisher: Spellmount Limited, UK, 2006
Used - Near Fine. 416 pages in excellent condition. With maps and photographs. Mapped endpapers. Red hardcovers with gilt titles on the spine. One corner and two edges very lightly bumped. Illustrated DJ with brown titles. No wear. Not price clipped. Scarce book. NEAR FINE/FINE; includes dustjacket (WWI, WESTERN FRONT, TRENCH NAMES, FIRST EDITION)

 
 
2)   £40 is not too bad for new hardback, scholarly book-especially one where the author has had to do a lot more work for a revised edition (which probably will then completely b**gger the value of the "first edition").Look at the price of a modern nothing novel in paperback-that will show you what "overpriced" is!
    History Press do quite large print-runs, with half an eye to selling off the balance of the stock. It will be worth keeping any eye on the 2 main remainder catalogue publishers after a while to see if chunks have been quietly sold off-  Postscript and Academic Book Collection.  Both produce paper catalogues-both are on ABE. Postscript lists in it's main company name, Sandpiper, while ABC is just in the process of going on. Both specialise in going direct to publishers to purchase from backstocks and usually have a good selection of books that will  not be found in shops such as "The Works"
     As a pretty much retired bookseller myself, I have known the prop. of Sandpiper for 35 years and that of ABC for 25 years. Both run very efficient businesses and are entirely reliable (The prop. of ABC supports Fulham FC-but that is his only real lapse from sanity)
Edited by Guest
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I notice that the old edition was 416 pages, whereas the new one is 768 pages.,which is quite a difference.

 

William

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  • 4 months later...

My new reprint arrived today, only a month behind schedule, unfortunately I was out and now have to collect from Post Office tomorrow ( in the words of Captain Darling ........Bu**er). The good news is that as I ordered in January, so it is still billed at the price of £20 plus postage...result!

 

John

Edited by Knotty
Quoted the wrong billing price, just checked bank statement.
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I have ordered a copy from an Amazon seller (using the forum Amazon fund-raising link of course) who has new copies at £20.93 including postage, and it is due in the next week.

 

William

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My copy of Rats Alley has just arrived, and my first impression was that that although this is going to prove incredibly useful, the print on the page is very pale, and a number of pages are slightly paler still than most. I think I could live with this poor print quality for a book that I only consult occasionally, but..... 

 

...then I found loads of pages which had miss-printed, with two pages printed on the same sheet. Clearly I have got a completely duff copy which will have to go back, and I'll try my luck with a second one. In case others have just bought a copy and want to check theirs, the unreadable multiple prints that I have so far spotted are on pages 256 to 289.

 

Has anyone else had this problem, or have I just had a one-off rogue copy?

 

William

 

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Hi William

I agree that the print is paler than I am used to, but not horrendously so. Thank you for pointing out the print issue, I have not read that far yet so I have checked the pages that you refer to and for me there does not appear to be any miss-printing, guess that you have a rogue copy.

It is still a very useful reference book, and I hope you have more success with your next copy.

 

John

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Hi John

 

Thanks; glad to hear that they are not all faulty. I think I will cope nicely with a copy that has the right pages, just once, and in the right order, however pale! In a year or so, when this has gone out of print again, I expect second hand copies will go back up to £100 or more. Makes me consider buying a few extra copies as an investment. :ph34r:

 

William

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My copy was waiting when I returned from a short break this afternoon, and I am pleased to say it appears to be printed correctly.  I too took advantage of the £18.13 + £2.80 offer.

 

Keith

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Well including myself that makes 3, any other takers?

ps checked bank statement and I was only billed at £20.93 inc. post...still an even better result.

 

John

Edited by Knotty
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When I self-published my book on Neath RFC last year, 249 copies were fine and 1 was printed upside down in relation to the cover...

 

🤔🙃

 

Bernard

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My replacement copy of Rats Alley has just arrived, and I am pleased to say that this one has a complete set of pages, printed just once, and in the correct order! I would like to pay a public tribute to Books etc. (the Amazon seller from whom I bought the book, using the forum money-raising link of course, for £20.93 including postage), and in particular to Colin in Fleet who sorted things out so quickly.

 

I am particularly pleased to note that the photo on the dust-jacket features the Royal Scots Fusiliers (that famous one of men of the 2nd RSF in a trench, muffled up against the winter of 1914-15).

 

William.

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Is the book a straight reprint or has it been updated? I ask out of curiosity, I've had a copy for several years that has many pencil additions to the gazetteer

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It is a brand new edition. The old edition had 416 pages (I understand), whereas this new one, which has 'Extended Second Edition' on the cover, is 768 pages.

 

William

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Blimey that's some extension William, I'd be interested as to what's been added, the gazetteer in my copy runs to 193 pages, has this been extended? and assuming the reprint is of the same format as the first edition

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11 minutes ago, jay dubaya said:

Blimey that's some extension William, I'd be interested as to what's been added, the gazetteer in my copy runs to 193 pages, has this been extended? and assuming the reprint is of the same format as the first edition

 

The book is HERE, and if you look at the preview of the Kindle edition you should be able to get some idea of whether the format has changed.

 

William; 

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1 hour ago, jay dubaya said:

Blimey that's some extension William, I'd be interested as to what's been added, the gazetteer in my copy runs to 193 pages, has this been extended? and assuming the reprint is of the same format as the first edition

According to its author PC in his introduction to the 2nd edition, he has increased  the number of trench references from 10k to 24k 

 

John

Edited by Knotty
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I've just read that John on the free preview in William's link, I've probably added 50 or so additions to my copy.....At that price though it's probably worth picking up a new copy, it's such a useful book to have at hand

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  • 2 years later...

Just looked at the NMP website, and they are selling the reissued version for £4.99 plus postage. Utter bargain.

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Is actually £5.99, but still...

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