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

Remembered Today:

What's your greatest bargain?


DMcNay

Recommended Posts

Nothing to do with WW1...but my greatest buy was of a limited edition copy of a book entitled 'Merrygodown' - a book on drunkards by the celebrated composer Peter Warlock. The seller was in blissful ignorance until I had it, paid for, in my hands, and I said that I was a collector of all things Peter Warlock. She gasped and said 'Peter Warlock??'. Yup, the author was Rab Noolas (try spelling it backwards) a well-known pseudonym of Warlock.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

a UK bookseller, whose name resembles that of a South American river,

Gareth

Orinoco? :huh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

£1 at a wargames convention bring and buy for The War Plans of the Great Powers 1880-1914 edited by Paul Kennedy. The only copy on abebooks.co.uk from a UK seller is £92, although there is one for £39 in Australia. Price in the USA seems to be £75-85.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Orinoco? :huh:

Steve

My memory's not what it was. I think it may have been the Paru, or the other river that it runs into. Or am I thinking of our own Paroo River? Whatever, the price went up shortly after I bought the book.

Cheers

Gareth

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This post reminds me of a genuine "In Memoriam" card I once saw that read "...died fighting with Lord Strathcona's Horse". I couldn't help but raise a smile.

Over thirty books including a number written during the first world war - example The Retreat From Mons by Major A Corbett-Smith 1917. Also Flanders and other Fields by Baroness de T' Serclaes MM (Elsie Knocker) signed by her in 1964. 20 SDGW, Free from a kind lady who I had helped.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A Territorial Soldier's War by Russell Latham, which was knocked down by the bookseller since it was ex library and had been covered; obviously they did not value the signature and dedication to the hospital where he was treated after 2nd Ypres!! yes, it came from the hospital library

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Managed to purchase complete set, in leather bound volumes, of "I Was There" for £20 from an antique shop. Couldn't believe my luck as he knocked off £10 because little interest had been shown in them.

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Life of a Regiment Volume IV for a tenner - last copy I saw on ebay went for over £100 :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MY best deals were in the UK when I was stationed there for 7 years. MY best book find was Dr. Oscar Parkes' British Battleships that I picked up in excellent condition at a boot sale for a fiver. I didn't realize just how rare the book was when I got it!

-Ski

Link to comment
Share on other sites

£1 at a wargames convention bring and buy for The War Plans of the Great Powers 1880-1914 edited by Paul Kennedy. The only copy on abebooks.co.uk from a UK seller is £92, although there is one for £39 in Australia. Price in the USA seems to be £75-85.

I really enjoyed that book and have read some of the essays in it several times. I bought mine in paperback. You got a real bargain there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ox & Bucks L.I. Chronicle 1940-42 for 99p on Ebay plus Free postage! Bargain!!

Lyndon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My best bargain was Hew Strachan's huge book "World War One - A Call to Arms" in paperback from eBay for the princely sum of one English penny..!!! plus postage of course. All those words for one penny..!!! plus postage of course. Unimaginable but true.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Journal of the Operations Conducted by the Corps of Royal Engineers (Sebastapol) Published 1859. Quarter bound , in leather, with gilt edged pages, all 638 of them. Day by day events, casualty lists, including the manner of death and a whole lot more. In effect a very detailed war diary.

Twenty Pounds from the Cinema Bookshop, Hay on Wye. I found it in a miscellaeneous section, obviously mis-catalogued and well under priced. When I took it to the till, I thought somehow they would discover the error but the cashier never blinked an eyelid. I scooted off to the car as fast as my little legs would carry me!

Don't breath a word please!

Terry Reeves

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never thought I would find anything to mention on this thread but yesterday I got all 6 volumes of Hammerton's Popular History in pretty good condition for £6 in a charity shop. I'm sure there are much more exciting finds than this but I was rather pleased!

Swizz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not a very good one, and it is the wrong war, but my best has to be The Struggle For Europe by Chester Wilmot for £4.99. 717 pages of quality history for about £00.00.69 per page!

(Disclaimer: The price per page level is almost certainly mistaken due to the poor level of the posters mathematics)

Jon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eyewitness, by Swinton, Great War development of Tanks. Came with a job lot of books i was asked if I wanted them before they were sent to a charity shop. (I make no excuses for depriving a charity of them)

first edition copy of HOW I FILMED THE WAR, wife found it in bookshop for 3 quid and nearly gave the game away when she shouted LOOK WHAT IVE FOUND!!!!

Mick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

A first edition of "Field Guns in France" by Lt Col Neil Fraser-Tytler in good nick for 5 HK dollars (about 50p) at a school fair in the then colony in about 1992, which I am rereading again. Very gung-ho but fascinating. Anyone know anything about the author's life and career? The foreword says little.

cheers Martin B

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A very good copy of the divisional history of the 59th Division (WW2) which I picked up in a charity shop for £3.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
"The HAC in the Great War" and "The 42nd East Lancashire Division 1914-1918", both original 1st editions with extras bought for a tenner for the pair (haggled down from £25!).

D.

Hi there,

Does the book The 42nd East Lancashire Division have a roll of enlisted servicemen?

My grandfather was Leonard Wilkinson Cooper Private 1664/200258. He was awarded a Belgian la Croix de Guerre in December 1918. Could you tell me if there is any mention of medals outside the British ones.

Thankyou in advance

Regards

Wendy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi there,

Does the book The 42nd East Lancashire Division have a roll of enlisted servicemen?

My grandfather was Leonard Wilkinson Cooper Private 1664/200258. He was awarded a Belgian la Croix de Guerre in December 1918. Could you tell me if there is any mention of medals outside the British ones.

Thankyou in advance

Regards

Wendy

It does have an Honours and Awards list, by regiment, including o.r.s, and including foreign decorations. What was his regiment - I'll look him up.

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...