Turner Donovan Books

[Guest]

3 hours ago, MartH said:

So how many active proper/serious GW book collectors are there out there?

 

     But surely to the obsessive or completist, even one other collector  out there will fan the flames of paranoia and  put the hunter-gatherer genes into overdrive?  It does not matter in absolute terms how many there are, even one is a bl***dy nuisance.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, MartH said:

Fellow collectors are competition but the worst competition are military book dealers or book dealer  who collect too, the should be rules in the Geneva convention outlawing this inhumanity to man. 

 

   But worst of all are those who pretend not to be book"dealers" but who really are- the collector  who is "merely trading up", or cannot resist the duplicate. Or are "only doing it to fund my hobby".

   If you sell a book, then you are a bookseller- tautologous but obvious. By far the worst are the few who moan at the bookseller and claim the virtues of the collector- even to the extent that only they,as collectors, should be allowed to buy books,say,at a library sale. But they always seem to have a keen idea of the monetary value of their books. My favourite was a Chancery barrister who "collected" antiquarian law books (all of which he claimed against tax- saying that chancery work required all sorts of very old books)- the moment he retired the entire "collection" went off to a major American university.

   (For "Collector"  read "personal pension fund manager")

[David Filsell]

I have the do lally tap, as my mother,  used to say bibliography wise. Sitting neglected is too many thousands of words on the works and the background of German authors of novels and personal accounts of the Great War which were translated into English - about 130 or so hunted down so far. It started as a labour of love became something of an obsession until I let life get back in the way!

[Dust Jacket Collector]

8 hours ago, Black Maria said:

Every year since I started seriously collecting ( 2002) I have written my wants list out in an A5 book , usually between 25-28 wants . This year is the first year

I have struggled to come up with that number . Some on my list were / still are in the latest catalogue but I can't say I'm too disappointed about the ones that 

sold or desperate to buy the ones that didn't ( very happy about the ones I did buy though! )  . Some of this is down to finances but also part of the joy of collecting

is the hunt for the books , what happens when / if I find them all and do I really want to buy all the books on my list in one go, even if I could afford it ?

 

I agree I’d hate to find all my wants at once - the chase is certainly half the fun. That said there’s no danger of ever finding all the books on my wants list. I’m constantly amazed by how many books were published on the War prior to WW2 - literally thousands. With my obsession with dust jackets, books tend to stay on the list for years. Looking at the books I was searching for when I started (nearly 40 years ago) only three are still there - Sapper’s ‘The Human Touch’, Patrick MacGill’s ‘The Red Horizon’ & Ford’s ‘Some do not’ - jacketed 1sts of coarse. At this stage I’d settle for just a glimpse of them!

[Dust Jacket Collector]

15 minutes ago, David Filsell said:

I have the do lally tap, as my mother,  used to say bibliography wise. Sitting neglected is too many thousands of words on the works and the background of German authors of novels and personal accounts of the Great War which were translated into English - about 130 or so hunted down so far. It started as a labour of love became something of an obsession until I let life get back in the way!

I’ve been looking forward to reading that bibliography for some time, so stop reviewing all those books for ‘Stand To’ and get on with it!

[David Filsell]

Mr DJC,

That of course is part of the problem. We are reviewing about 45 books for each edition. Although I am personally reviewing fewer, liaison with reviewers,  publishers authors and the editing is quite a task. Ho hum. Fact is I don't think such a book as my bibliography is likely to find a publisher but the knowledge I have gained is not wasted and am always happy to share it. Perhaps some kind of on line thing might be the answer but frankly, as the youff say, I can't be arsed with dealing with the technology of getting it on the road and updating it.

Regards

David

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear David,

Yes, I sympathise.

I have like thoughts regarding the publishing of my medal collection, for example. It is a hassle, with no chance of profit...

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[Muerrisch]

Not many of Tom's customers can be in my strange condition ...... I am rarely tempted because there are few gaps (known gaps) in my British Army Military Manuals collection. From very early days what amounts to a biblio was printed on pink pages in each copy.

There some non core threads of manuals of no interest (RA gun specific for example) , and a total lack of interest after 1939.

That apart, virtually complete 1850 onwards, and a good friend fellow collector can plug a few gaps if I need a look up. My VF area is a tad threadbare.

When I pop my clogs Tom will handle the Mil Man sale of the century.

What I would like to emphasize [and I suspect that I am rather in a minority among collectors ] is that I collect FACTS which happen to exist in books. As an example, whereas I would rather own an 1899 Queen's Regs [not yet found one at a sensible price] I am almost content to own a reprint.

Edited 3 March , 2019 by Muerrisch
addendum

[MartH]

David I do hope your book does get published.

 

Excuse the question but whats a VF area?

 

As for my own collecting I got my first Official History, as a thank you from my parents when I did the night shifts looking after my English grandmother in 1982 after finishing my first degree. Full set of Naval Operations from Frank Smith in Newcastle, still got, but now have the revised editions to go with the set. Now my obsession is all English language official histories except US ones, the green book have never been my glass of tea. By 1985 had a list of wants, some of which are still on there, from 1986 till 1988 I worked in Farnborough and had access to several military libraries during my lunch hour, so some days worked on my bibliography and would emerge from the reserve collections covered in dust. I am now very interested in the writing of military history in the 19th and 20th century.

 

Still adding to my bibliography and collection, just recently another of the WWII Red Army at War series, a volume printed as a manual, but still clearly one of the series sneaked out. As for buying some of the wants I have never seen (and the thrill of the chase is not great) I would gladly write a large cheque, to get some of my wants such at the Third Burmese War, what  I love is finding out new stuff about OH's.  Saying that I completed my WWI British OH collection with Casualties and Medical Statistics, it was with an unknown confidential copy from the man in Brighton at a large expense by my mother who I was then looking after, to square the circle started some 30 odd years before, picked up a normal copy for 18.30 later that month, strange two in one month after 30 years like buses. Started to write a book on the writing of Official Histories up to the Great War and I have had offers from people to publish and edit it, it is amazing how much ill researched material has been written on the subject . For example I would cover Edmonds role as being the glue between all the parties writing OH's, the French and German authors did not correspond directly till 1937, the public defense of Bean in the Australian press etc.

 

I have got many duplicates, only sold one in 83 to prove I could sell them for more than I paid, Defense of UK to Frank Smith for 18.60, some were obtained when buying lots at auctions, and others when they were a third under the going rate, will get shot of them soon. My new wife is amazed that she can pull a volume out of the bookshelves and in many instances I can say when, where and how much.

 

Book dealing, and military book dealing has changed over the years, book fairs used to be great. Best buys are always the rare ones miscatalogued by the big dealer, there is the specialist knowledge of the collector.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[other ranker]

I have been collecting Great war books for over 20 years now. Space is at a premium now, but I can't stop.... I thought you might like to see how extreme this has got. May be you have the same problem.

I am a big fan of Blunden's 'Undertones Of War' and have copies that all mean something. A first edition, a revised edition, one so good you can't believe its been read, an inscribed one, the Folio Society edition with all the extras plus 'De Bello Germanico'.

I am sure several can replicate something like this with your favourites. Show us your duplicates, triplicates etc.

[Black Maria]

I do tend to sell my duplicates but the one book that has stayed with me since i first read it years ago is Cecil Lewis' 'Sagittarius Rising' 

From left top to right is - 1936 3rd imp, signed with a letter written to the lady who features in it - 1936 4th imp -1930's U.S edition

1944 edition given to the original owner by Lewis in Greece during WW2 - 1993 folio edition with illustrations by C.R.W Nevison - 

my first 1977 penguin paperback copy . Rather poor quality photo i'm afraid 

 

[Dust Jacket Collector]

I think this is the only book I have multiple copies off.

So we have the 1st German, UK & US editions, all 1929 from January, March & June respectively. Then a UK reprint from January 1931 (completing 377,000 copies), the same from June 1933 (382,000th) & a 1952 issue making 394,000 sold.

Interestingly the original from 1929 cost 7/6 but by 1952 it was only 6/-.

[other ranker]

Great to see I am not the only one. Black Maria, I like the covers of the Lewis books. I think the US ones are so different, that might be the next quest...

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Brilliant set, BM. Great to get the signed copies.

[Black Maria]

1 hour ago, other ranker said:

Great to see I am not the only one. Black Maria, I like the covers of the Lewis books. I think the US ones are so different, that might be the next quest...

Yes there is always something new to start collecting , if you can find the space 

 

37 minutes ago, Dust Jacket Collector said:

Brilliant set, BM. Great to get the signed copies.

Thanks , yes the signed copy with the letter is a real treasure for me . The previous owner of the other one has written inside that it was given to him by Lewis 

at Christmas 1944 when he was stationed at Athens airfield during rioting , but unfortunately he didn't get Lewis to sign it . I wonder if he was a bit reluctant to

sign his books as iv'e not seen that many signed copies , especially of Sagittarius Rising .

[Dust Jacket Collector]

I see Tom is about to revamp his website with fancier catalogues and a newsletter. Something to look forward to in these dreadful times.

[Black Maria]

26 minutes ago, Dust Jacket Collector said:

I see Tom is about to revamp his website with fancier catalogues and a newsletter. Something to look forward to in these dreadful times.

Yes, it all sounds very interesting . I particularly like the idea of 'The Turner Donovan Telegraph' .

[Dust Jacket Collector]

19 minutes ago, Black Maria said:

Yes, it all sounds very interesting . I particularly like the idea of 'The Turner Donovan Telegraph' .

Hope he’s still allowed out to buy more stock.

[Black Maria]

39 minutes ago, Dust Jacket Collector said:

Hope he’s still allowed out to buy more stock.

I hope so , surely it must be classed as essential work

[MartH]

6 hours ago, Black Maria said:

I hope so , surely it must be classed as essential work

 

Well he improves the quality of life 

[Black Maria]

10 minutes ago, MartH said:

 

Well he improves the quality of life 

That's true !