barkalotloudly Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 leave your books to a library........never never never they cannot be trusted I have purchased too many very scarce books "ex library" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Maria Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 Surely the IWM wouldn't sell off rare volumes left to them? I'd have thought they were the first and best location for great war donations. I have seen just recently in a book catalogue and on ABE several withdrawn IWM books for sale including an original rebound copy of 'There's a Devil in the Drum' and a jacketed copy of 'Twenty Two Months under fire' (see post #357) and you can't get much more rare than them. Also as DJC will tell you, even book collections left as bequests to University libraries are not immune to being sold off , so I would personally rather see my collection sold and the money given to my family than left to a library. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Jacket Collector Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 Surely the IWM wouldn't sell off rare volumes left to them? I'd have thought they were the first and best location for great war donations. I have several books in my collection which are ex-IWM including the rare Occupation of the Rhineland of which only 100 copies were printed. I imagine that once they have 1 or 2 copies they let the rest go, regardless of where they came from. I've written elsewhere on the forum about an outstanding collection of inscribed memoirs that was left to a University library but which have slowly made their way onto the market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartH Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 Surely the IWM wouldn't sell off rare volumes left to them? I'd have thought they were the first and best location for great war donations. Your assuming the IWM knows when a book is scare, it does not, especially if has 5 of the 25 remain copies. It will sell some. I have dealing with another national museum with respect to a book/manuscript in my collection. No way on earth would I ever lend it to them or let them have it, since they reserve the right to dispose of it if surplus to requirements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Maria Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 The 'Devil in the Drum' copy I can understand them selling if they have a better original copy in it's original cloth but unless they had two copies of 'Twenty Two months' in their original jackets it seems a bit strange to sell off your jacketed copy and keep the one without. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartH Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 Did Keegan actually see a copy? If so where was it, or more to the point where is it now? BM. If you or any of my fellow collectors would like to leave your books to me they would be gratefully received. I could promise them a loving home on the South Coast, glass fronted bookcases, no direct sunlight & regular dusting. Duplicates, of course, would be flogged off immediately. To quote from Robert Highams': A Guide to the Sources of British Military History. Page 460, from the Chapter XVII on "The Inter-War Periods" by John Keegan, There is much more and better printed materiel on the intervention in Russia, for the operations in the north, Ironside's diary (58): Strakhovsky's (102) and Halliday's histories (48) and the official account (33) for the Siberian front; Peter Fleming's gripping story of Kolchak's fate (37) ; a memoir of the British Mission by a member (55); a regimental history by its commander (115) and the official account (30); Page 462. 30.Eastern Siberia. London H.M.S.O., 1920. 33.Evacuation of Northern Russia, The. London; H.M.S.O., 1920. That's all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Jacket Collector Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 The 'Devil in the Drum' copy I can understand them selling if they have a better original copy in it's original cloth but unless they had two copies of 'Twenty Two months' in their original jackets it seems a bit strange to sell off your jacketed copy and keep the one without. It does seem odd, especially as I know they haven't retained the jackets on most of their early books. Twenty Two months is stamped 'Imperial War Museum Withdrawn from stock'. If they've gone to the trouble of having a stamp made it suggests this is a routine procedure. Maybe they've had to contract the library with all the current renovations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Jacket Collector Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 30.Eastern Siberia. London H.M.S.O., 1920. 33.Evacuation of Northern Russia, The. London; H.M.S.O., 1920. That's all. That sounds fairly convincing, Martin. It does suggest he's come across it somewhere. It's probably residing in the bowels of some American university unread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartH Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 That sounds fairly convincing, Martin. It does suggest he's come across it somewhere. It's probably residing in the bowels of some American university unread. Well, I have tried searching the IWM and NA. If somebody else could try searching these two again I would be grateful, just to confirm they don't have them. Its strange since The Evacuation of Northern Russia is know, and at least 3 copies are extant. Really interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Jacket Collector Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 Well, I have tried searching the IWM and NA. If somebody else could try searching these two again I would be grateful, just to confirm they don't have them. Its strange since The Evacuation of Northern Russia is know, and at least 3 copies are extant. Really interesting. There seems to be a book called Eastern Siberia published by the Historical Section of the Foreign Office through HMSO in 1919 & again in 1920. It's only 96 pages so I guess that isn't it, but perhaps Keegan thought it was. The BL has one as do 3 foreign libraries according to World Cat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 Not long ago some guys I know, and whose names I will not give, found a skip outside the IWM. Inside were trench maps and a large map of an important area which had been presented to Douglas Haig and then found its way to the IWM. I have felt the same about the place since. Needless to say all the trench maps and the Haig associated item are now in truly safe hands. My local library disposed of all of its Official Histories, land sea and air ten years or so ago. For information the Library of Congress has both a far better website the the British Library and many English language books which are not in the BL. It is often worthwhile to try a search for verification purposes. Needless to say I shall be leaving none of my collection to anyone but my son. He an decide to keep them or take the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartH Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 There seems to be a book called Eastern Siberia published by the Historical Section of the Foreign Office through HMSO in 1919 & again in 1920. It's only 96 pages so I guess that isn't it, but perhaps Keegan thought it was. The BL has one as do 3 foreign libraries according to World Cat. This is the other one I referred too, the document prepared for the peace conference by Prothero. I have copies and will post a photo, if Keegan saw it there is no way you can mistake if for an Official History. A link to it here http://www.wdl.org/en/item/9159/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Black Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 I declare myself thoroughly depressed. That the institutions whose job, you'd have thought it was to keep alive rare records, have such a poor record of identifying what is rare and unique Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkalotloudly Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 I once asked at Norwich library about the official history of the great war " we got rid of that several years ago" complete and utter vandals ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Jacket Collector Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 I once asked at Norwich library about the official history of the great war " we got rid of that several years ago" complete and utter vandals !Looking through my Official History set, most of them are ex-library (sorry, Martin) - York, Bristol, Hendon, Hammersmith & most worryingly, the Ministry of Defence Library! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartH Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 I too am aware of the sale of rare books, from more than just standard lending libraries. I have one from the Foreign Office Library for example, and for some other none GW series, I have Cabinet Library and Cabinet Office copies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 28 June , 2014 Share Posted 28 June , 2014 The 'sacking' of the MOD library was a huge crime. I believe that The Prince Consort's Library has also been plundered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Jacket Collector Posted 28 June , 2014 Share Posted 28 June , 2014 The 'sacking' of the MOD library was a huge crime. I believe that The Prince Consort's Library has also been plundered.No wonder politicians fail to learn the lessons of History - they've sold it all off! On the plus side it allows people like me a chance to get our hands on some rare books - not that that's of any use to future generations who may wish to consult the originals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartH Posted 28 June , 2014 Share Posted 28 June , 2014 The 'sacking' of the MOD library was a huge crime. I believe that The Prince Consort's Library has also been plundered. Prince Consorts too, that's criminal much of the research for Perkins was done there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkalotloudly Posted 28 June , 2014 Share Posted 28 June , 2014 Nice one, does it have the Erratum slip tipped in? I think it's quite scarce, and has the distinction having been reprinted at least twice by Battery Press and Naval and Military. Much sought after in South Africa. Original print run 1,000. yes the slip is tipped in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartH Posted 28 June , 2014 Share Posted 28 June , 2014 yes the slip is tipped in Lovely, nice buy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkalotloudly Posted 28 June , 2014 Share Posted 28 June , 2014 managed to find myself a copy of handbook Eastern Siberia HMSO 1920 96 pages Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Black Posted 28 June , 2014 Share Posted 28 June , 2014 We should make a top 10 of the most unfindable books and petition Naval & Military press to put them to the top of their list for republishing, with the good will of some kind rare book collectors and museums of course . Existense comes before collectability, in my book (pun intended). Ah'll keep dreamin'....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartH Posted 28 June , 2014 Share Posted 28 June , 2014 managed to find myself a copy of handbook Eastern Siberia HMSO 1920 96 pages Yes but is that the Official History or the Foreign Office Handbook, which has green covers and I will post a picture soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartH Posted 28 June , 2014 Share Posted 28 June , 2014 We should make a top 10 of the most unfindable books and petition Naval & Military press to put them to the top of their list for republishing, with the good will of some kind rare book collectors and museums of course . Existense comes before collectability, in my book (pun intended). Ah'll keep dreamin'....... Well as I think we have established that Eastern Siberia if extant is not in the IWM or several serious collectors. I have searched several Libraries including Prince Consorts before the cull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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