The true classics

[KONDOA]

"Marching on Tanga" Francis Brett Young

[Black Maria]

1 hour ago, bill24chev said:

I must recommend  "Fifty Amazin Stories of the Great War" this book was the start of my interest in WW1.

As it says there were 50 accounts of the war by the Men (and If I remember right at least one woman). Three articles stand out for me.

 

 

 

The third article I recall was entitled "the Phantom Brigade" telling of the Advetures of a small group of five straglers from Four different Infantry Regiments (hence the title) and an ACS soldier commanded by a L.Cpl.

 

I think it was published by a Book club such as Readers Digest because we had another book I think titled Fifty amazing stories of the Victorian era" which included a piece on General "Bobs" Roberts march from Kabul to Kandahar and the subsequent battle.

Published by Odhams Press Ltd in 1936 , the excerpt was indeed taken from A.P.G  Vivian's excellent book 'The Phantom Brigade' ( Benn 1930 ) , which itself

deserves to be included as a classic . In the Odham's book the excerpt was entitled 'General for a day' .

[SMG65]

'In The Line' by Georg Bucher

[geraint]

Crozier was quite a character - he probably rubbed 50% of his readership the wrong way. His attitude towards the firing squad is odd. (Read the book). his attitude towards shooting into his own troops during a route is again "odd". Read it!!

[Magnumbellum]

At the end of the day, Frank Crozier acknowledged that war is not the answer. Befriended by Dick Sheppard, he allowed his address to be used for receipt of thousands of postcards by men renouncing war in response to Sheppard's celebrated letter published widely in the press on 16 October 1934.

 

Crozier's summerhouse was used to sort and store the cards, becoming the first office of what became, and still is, the Peace Pledge Union, with Crozier, erstwhile Brigadier-General, becoming its first general secretary.  Advancement, indeed.

[other ranker]

On 03/11/2016 at 07:01, Dust Jacket Collector said:

Many congratulations, Other Ranker. Allow me to award you with a virtual gold star. If you want a bar to go with it you'll have to find jackets for them all! I'm not sure how easy I'd find it to get them all these days. Most of mine on that list were found years ago & although there was no internet then there seemed to be far more dealers in such books.

Perhaps I should add a further 20 to keep you occupied for the next few years??

Here we are five years further down the road. Here is where I am at with the quest!

 

[Marilyne]

got all of the above, bar one... but all in reprint... 

 

my adding to this topic: "Testament of Youth", Vera Brittain. 

 

M;

[Dust Jacket Collector]

I used to see jacketed copies of ‘Somme Harvest’ & ‘Up to Mametz’ in the dim and distant pass but not for a long time. It seems the supply of the rarer material has rather dried up. I rather doubt you’ll find a Belhaven. Possibly rarer even than that for Dunn’s ‘War the Infantry knew’. You’ve prompted me to withdraw proverbial finger and produce a second twenty.

[other ranker]

I look forward to the challenge!

[other ranker]

Not really true classics! I have been picking away at finding nice copies of this set for some time. Cheap boys own stuff from America, but I think the art work is amazing.

 

[David Filsell]

Other Ranker,

Way, way, outside the brief, but great artwork. Thank you.

Regards

David

 

[other ranker]

For the few followers who have watched my pursuit of DJC's top 20 over the years. I think this is as far as I can get now!

[Dust Jacket Collector]

9 hours ago, other ranker said:

For the few followers who have watched my pursuit of DJC's top 20 over the years. I think this is as far as I can get now!

They look splendid. Rather better than mine I think.

How about trying to collect all 28 volumes of Bodley Head’s ‘On Active Service Series’. Published between 1919 & 1922 it was the most widely ranging set of memoirs that anyone produced after the War. It took me years to get them all.

[Chris Foster]

Martin Middlebrook's 'First Day on the Somme" It was the book that initially  fired my interest in the Great War.

[Michelle Young]

My turn to do detention. A Life Apart by Alan Thomas. 

[other ranker]

11 hours ago, Dust Jacket Collector said:

They look splendid. Rather better than mine I think.

How about trying to collect all 28 volumes of Bodley Head’s ‘On Active Service Series’. Published between 1919 & 1922 it was the most widely ranging set of memoirs that anyone produced after the War. It took me years to get them all.

I have few of the 'On Active Service Series'. I think it would be impossible to get them all now without breaking the bank. Remember I pointed 'With The Chinks' to you to complete your collection.

 

[Dust Jacket Collector]

2 hours ago, other ranker said:

I have few of the 'On Active Service Series'. I think it would be impossible to get them all now without breaking the bank. Remember I pointed 'With The Chinks' to you to complete your collection.

 

Indeed I do and much appreciated it was. Still worth pursuing though, despite the scarcity - everything turns up eventually.

[other ranker]

I took up the challenge about 20 years ago to find Dust jacket collectors top twenty memoirs. I have been updating over the years as I have gone along. This is where I am now. If you go on his website he has given me the next challenge I will be eighty if I make that one complete!

[Dust Jacket Collector]

19 hours ago, other ranker said:

I took up the challenge about 20 years ago to find Dust jacket collectors top twenty memoirs. I have been updating over the years as I have gone along. This is where I am now. If you go on his website he has given me the next challenge I will be eighty if I make that one complete!

and very nice they look to. My next twenty is certainly more of a lottery depending as it does on what I’ve got and what I’ve read. There are plenty on this forum who’ve read far more widely than I have. They’d certainly be better qualified to produce such a list.

[Black Maria]

A fine collection , well done . I'm surprised Alan didn't include Fuller's 'Memoirs of an Unconventional Soldier'  in his new list , but only because i've got that one and i've never seen another jacketed copy  P.S .. I wonder who bought the £345 U.K jacketed copy of ' Nothing of Importance ' in the last T.D catalogue ?  it never appeared on his web site , i wish i had bought the other jacketed copy on ABE for £30 when i purchased mine now .

 

Edited 23 April , 2023 by Black Maria

[Dust Jacket Collector]

18 minutes ago, Black Maria said:

A fine collection , well done . I'm surprised Alan didn't include Fuller's 'Memoirs of an Unconventional Soldier'  in his new list , but only because i've got that one and i've never seen another jacketed copy  P.S .. I wonder who bought the £345 U.K jacketed copy of ' Nothing of Importance ' in the last T.D catalogue ?  it never appeared on his web site , i wish i had bought the other jacketed copy on ABE for £30 when i purchased mine now .

 

Mea Culpa. I might well have included it if I’d read it or even had it. I wonder why the jacket is so scarce? It wouldn’t surprise me if Harrington’s hadn’t bought the Adams - expensive though it was I can see them pricing it nearer £1200!

[Black Maria]

13 minutes ago, Dust Jacket Collector said:

Mea Culpa. I might well have included it if I’d read it or even had it. I wonder why the jacket is so scarce? It wouldn’t surprise me if Harrington’s hadn’t bought the Adams - expensive though it was I can see them pricing it nearer £1200!

That's okay Alan , i haven't read it either yet  . Another of those mysteries of why some jackets are quite common and others never seem to appear , although like buses no doubt a few will turn up now i've mentioned it . I tend not to visit the Harrington's site too often as their prices are quite eye watering , but obviously some people must have the money to purchase their books or they wouldn't list them for so much . I did like your second list , some great titles in there !

[Dust Jacket Collector]

32 minutes ago, Black Maria said:

That's okay Alan , i haven't read it either yet  . Another of those mysteries of why some jackets are quite common and others never seem to appear , although like buses no doubt a few will turn up now i've mentioned it . I tend not to visit the Harrington's site too often as their prices are quite eye watering , but obviously some people must have the money to purchase their books or they wouldn't list them for so much . I did like your second list , some great titles in there !

Thanks John. The only time I buy from Harrington is in their January sale when they might knock 60% off. I see they’ve just got a Storm of Steel for £2,500. (Actually I was going to buy their Shakespeare 1st Folio for £6.25m but it seems to have gone, dammit!)

[Black Maria]

14 minutes ago, Dust Jacket Collector said:

Thanks John. The only time I buy from Harrington is in their January sale when they might knock 60% off. I see they’ve just got a Storm of Steel for £2,500. (Actually I was going to buy their Shakespeare 1st Folio for £6.25m but it seems to have gone, dammit!)

[other ranker]

Thanks for the comments on my posting. I would be interested to know from others in regards to your comments above. Do collectors read the books they buy? I know it's a big ask if you are buying lots. I always have one on the go. I try to read an army one followed by an air one then a big wigs autobiography or it really does get 'samey'? I am reading Guy Chapman's "A Kind Of Survivor' at the moment. He worked in the publishing and printing business when a lot of our books were on the go, some interesting insights.