ianw Posted 14 January , 2006 Share Posted 14 January , 2006 I have not heard of this book before but a rather expensive copy has appeared on Ebay. There are no other copies on Bookfinder. I think the book is the memoirs of an RAMC doctor from 1914 & 1915. I will certainly try to get a library copy. If anyone has read it, I would welcome their opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 14 January , 2006 Share Posted 14 January , 2006 He is very good on 1914 actions, especially the Aisne. Like many WW1 books, I have not read it in its entirety, but homed-in the section that was relevent to my current interests. However, the Aisne did seem a representative episode of a very good read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 14 January , 2006 Author Share Posted 14 January , 2006 Thanks Kate. Looking again at the Ebay entry showed that a decent sized extract had been posted and it indeed seems like pretty good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Maria Posted 19 October , 2018 Share Posted 19 October , 2018 Watched a first edition copy of this rare memoir sell for under £25 today on e-bay ( 2 bidders ) .The dealers want from between £200 / £300 each for the two second edition copies currently for sale on line and it is one of the few classic memoirs yet to be brought out as a cheap reprint. This has just reinforced my belief that the people who are interested in this kind of book are very few and far between . This is a shame because one of the main ways we can have any idea of what these men went through is by reading what they wrote about their experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 19 October , 2018 Share Posted 19 October , 2018 Osburn's book is refreshingly informative on many unspoken areas not covered by others- suicide in the trenches, etc. He was also involved in the Le Cateau debacle of 1914. I found the book rather modern in outlook- Osburn is very good,as a doctor, on human nature. Even he can be a bit oblique (homosexuality,for instance) but it's a cut above many other memoirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkalotloudly Posted 19 October , 2018 Share Posted 19 October , 2018 yep saw that on E bay very fortunately managed to get a copy from Amazon for £10.00 a few months ago when all other copies seemed to be 200.00 plus everything comes to those that wait, slightly aside a set of unnamed photographs { bout 20} sold for 128.00 a few days ago they have now reappeared at 145.00 each !! there are certainly some shall we say very overoptimistic individuals out there!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Maria Posted 19 October , 2018 Share Posted 19 October , 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, barkalotloudly said: yep saw that on E bay very fortunately managed to get a copy from Amazon for £10.00 a few months ago when all other copies seemed to be 200.00 plus everything comes to those that wait, slightly aside a set of unnamed photographs { bout 20} sold for 128.00 a few days ago they have now reappeared at 145.00 each !! there are certainly some shall we say very overoptimistic individuals out there!! I expect they must believe in your saying about 'everything comes to those who wait ' . Unfortunately it sounds like they may be waiting a very long time . It also shows how infrequently reasonable priced copies turn up , if you've only recently managed to acquire one. I was lucky enough to get my first edition jacketed copy from Canada for about £30 ,mind you that was back in 2001 ! Edited 19 October , 2018 by Black Maria Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Maria Posted 19 October , 2018 Share Posted 19 October , 2018 Osburn's book is refreshingly informative on many unspoken areas not covered by others- suicide in the trenches, etc. He was also involved in the Le Cateau debacle of 1914. I found the book rather modern in outlook- Osburn is very good,as a doctor, on human nature. Even he can be a bit oblique (homosexuality,for instance) but it's a cut above many other memoirs. I agree , it's a while ago since I read it but it's certainly one of my favourites and a 'must read ' I would have thought for anyone interested , like me, in the early months of the war on the Western Front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Maria Posted 19 October , 2018 Share Posted 19 October , 2018 Out of interest I've just looked up in an old Turner/Donovan catalogue and I see that an unjacketed near fine copy of the first edition was £65 back in 2003 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Jacket Collector Posted 19 October , 2018 Share Posted 19 October , 2018 sadly I only have this 2nd edition. I wonder why the colour change? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Maria Posted 19 October , 2018 Share Posted 19 October , 2018 58 minutes ago, Dust Jacket Collector said: sadly I only have this 2nd edition. I wonder why the colour change? Still a very nice book to have . I suppose it was just to differentiate between the two editions , although it looks like most people just threw the wrappers in the bin judging by their rarity . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
other ranker Posted 19 October , 2018 Share Posted 19 October , 2018 I've got the same one as you DJC in a fairly good jacket! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resurgam13 Posted 21 October , 2018 Share Posted 21 October , 2018 This is Osburn's own copy of the Second Edition which, according to a note on the inside cover, he had re-bound in 1943 in Barbados (in lizard- or snake-skin). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Maria Posted 21 October , 2018 Share Posted 21 October , 2018 3 hours ago, Resurgam13 said: This is Osburn's own copy of the Second Edition which, according to a note on the inside cover, he had re-bound in 1943 in Barbados (in lizard- or snake-skin). Nice ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Jacket Collector Posted 22 October , 2018 Share Posted 22 October , 2018 Clearly he found the first edition as hard to find as the rest of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Scorer Posted 25 October , 2018 Share Posted 25 October , 2018 It sounds interesting, but it's out of my price range! Abe Books have one for £220 with free shipping, whilst Amazon are selling one for £517 plus £2.80 Delivery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkalotloudly Posted 25 October , 2018 Share Posted 25 October , 2018 30 minutes ago, The Scorer said: It sounds interesting, but it's out of my price range! Abe Books have one for £220 with free shipping, whilst Amazon are selling one for £517 plus £2.80 Delivery. perhaps both the same book? just well known "seller" who does not even own the book trying to make a rather large buck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Scorer Posted 25 October , 2018 Share Posted 25 October , 2018 1 minute ago, barkalotloudly said: perhaps both the same book? just well known "seller" who does not even own the book trying to make a rather large buck! I don't think so, as the seller is different in both cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Maria Posted 25 October , 2018 Share Posted 25 October , 2018 (edited) 22 minutes ago, The Scorer said: I don't think so, as the seller is different in both cases. The one on Amazon is the same book . They are a dropshipper , they don't actually have the book but get the ABE seller to send it to you if you buy it from them . Sometimes it does pay to shop around ! Edited 25 October , 2018 by Black Maria Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Scorer Posted 25 October , 2018 Share Posted 25 October , 2018 Ah, okay, thanks - I'm still not tempted, even at the lower price!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Maria Posted 25 October , 2018 Share Posted 25 October , 2018 3 hours ago, The Scorer said: Ah, okay, thanks - I'm still not tempted, even at the lower price!! I don't think many people will be , especially as only two people were interested in the e-bay copy at a starting price of £20. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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