Rarest book?

[Purbecksteve]

It would seem to be unpublished. Google shows a couple of copies of the typescript in American collections & it looks as if one turned up on Ebay recently. Maybe you could find a publisher for it?

Thanks for your reply, that did cross my mind but I think the Liddell Hart Centre may have copyright.

Steve

[The Scorer]

Now another rare book of the scarest grade, and rather valuable too, the reprints where over 1,700.

It has an interesting connection to the Great War, and what might have been, being part of the learning curve of someone special for the Great War. Any takers to its connection?

I have come to this topic late and was interested to find out a bit more about your question.

I've looked to see what those nice people at Wikipedia say, and here it is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_attach%C3%A9s_and_observers_in_the_Russo-Japanese_War#Selected_military_attach.C3.A9s_serving_with_Japanese_forces

I assume that you're thinking of the British observers, so here's a full list:

British observers

• Richard Bannatine-Allason, UK.^[36]
• Capt. Alexander Bannerman, U.K.^[37]
• Maj. Aylmer Haldane, U.K.
• LTG. Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton, Indian Army.^[20]
• Capt. Arthur Henry Seton Hart-Synnot, U.K.^[38]
• Col. John Hoad, Australia.^[39]
• Col. C. V. Hume, U.K.^[20]
• Capt. James Bruce Jardine, U.K.^[40]
• LTG. William Nicholson, 1st Baron Nicholson, U.K.
• Capt. Herbert Cyril Thacker, Canada.^[41]
• Col. John Walter Graham Tulloch, Indian Army.^[42]
• Capt. Berkeley Vincent, U.K.^[43]

Now, are you thinking of one person in particular? If you are, can I suggest that it's Sir Ian Hamilton, with Aylmer Haldane a close second? Or, if I can cheat again, t'other way around?!

Digital copies are available from Harvard University.

Edited 7 July , 2014 by The Scorer

[David Filsell]

I believe that Thompson Capper was also 'attended' the war in an official capacity.

[MartH]

I have come to this topic late and was interested to find out a bit more about your question.

I've looked to see what those nice people at Wikipedia say, and here it is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_attach%C3%A9s_and_observers_in_the_Russo-Japanese_War#Selected_military_attach.C3.A9s_serving_with_Japanese_forces

I assume that you're thinking of the British observers, so here's a full list:

British observers

• Richard Bannatine-Allason, UK.^[36]
• Capt. Alexander Bannerman, U.K.^[37]
• Maj. Aylmer Haldane, U.K.
• LTG. Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton, Indian Army.^[20]
• Capt. Arthur Henry Seton Hart-Synnot, U.K.^[38]
• Col. John Hoad, Australia.^[39]
• Col. C. V. Hume, U.K.^[20]
• Capt. James Bruce Jardine, U.K.^[40]
• LTG. William Nicholson, 1st Baron Nicholson, U.K.
• Capt. Herbert Cyril Thacker, Canada.^[41]
• Col. John Walter Graham Tulloch, Indian Army.^[42]
• Capt. Berkeley Vincent, U.K.^[43]

Now, are you thinking of one person in particular? If you are, can I suggest that it's Sir Ian Hamilton, with Aylmer Haldane a close second? Or, if I can cheat again, t'other way around?!

Digital copies are available from Harvard University.

Thanks for replying I don't think digital copies are available of Reports from Japanese Officers and these are not condensed or censored editions, they only have Volume 1 non digital http://hollis.harvard.edu/?itemid=|library/m/aleph|005648848, what they have and the later condensed and censored editions, Reports from the Russian and Japanese Forces In the Field, http://fig.lib.harvard.edu/fig/?bib=005289156.The green not red ones. I would love to be corrected.

Like I said this Volume III is a rare book of the scarest grade.

The connection is a "what might have been, being part of the learning curve of someone special for the Great War." so neither Hamilton or Haldane, this is someone special in the might have been, think trains.

I will post the preface tomorrow and all will be made clear.

[The Scorer]

Well, William Nicholson seems to have been the only one of those on the list to have been involved in military transportation, so is he the one you're thinking off?

[Black Maria]

Just an observation with regards to how reprints reduce the desirability / value of original rare copies and even other reprints. On another thread in the book forum the classic

'Up to Mametz' has been mentioned, originally published in 1931 you would rarely see an original copy , then it was reprinted by Severn House in 1981 and again by Gliddon

Books with a new introduction in 1988. Those later reprint copies were scarce and selling for £50 +, until the latest reprint 'Up to Mametz and beyond' was published in 2010,

now the earlier reprints are generally selling for about £15 and there are 5 copies of the original first edition unsold on ABE.

[MartH]

Well, William Nicholson seems to have been the only one of those on the list to have been involved in military transportation, so is he the one you're thinking off?

And the brains behind the project:

[Ken S.]

Went down to a thrift store last week, and among the books that I picked up was a copy of "All Else is Folly" by Peregrine Acland, published in 1929, with dustjacket. Earlier this evening I got around to looking at the books that I picked up that afternoon, and absentmindedly tore off the little price sticker that they had stuck to the upper spine (right over the title). I really should have known better and have checked the listings online, as I now see that the original is uncommon and most if not all that are listed on abebooks have no dust jacket. Not sure how I could have removed the sticker correctly, but am looking for it as I just flicked it away - I can't even remember what I paid for it, most likely $2 to $3. I wasn't even going to buy it, but when I perused the front flap I changed my mind.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Sounds like relatively minor damage, Ken. Some years ago I received a book wrapped up like a mummy in parcel tape & decided to open it with scissors, neatly cutting the jacket in half!

Which copy of the Acland did you find - US, Canadian or UK? The UK one from Constable is probably the hardest to find & also the best as the jacket image isn't partially obscured by a band of text. Jolly good buy though & some $400 less than I paid for mine!

[Ken S.]

Mine was published Grosset & Dunlap. Now I have found this blog post about this particular reprint edition...

http://peregrineacland.wordpress.com/2012/08/04/all-else-is-folly-grosset-dunlap-dust-jacket/

I'll post pics the next time I get around to uploading from my camera.

[Black Maria]

I have just acquired a copy of 'Incidents in the Kaiser War 1914-18' edited by Lt-Col E.P Cawston , i first saw it mentioned in the bibliography of 'Death's Men' and assumed

it was just one book, but now i realise it is a series of academic works ( softback) published in the Sixties and early Seventies , which i believe deal mainly with the London Regt.

My copy is No 1 of 1918 and contains personal testimonies from men of the London Regt and deals with the taking over of the 28 miles of the front line from the French in Feb /Mar

1918.

I see on amazon there are four books listed=

1. London Territorials in the Kaiser War

2.Personal reminiscences of the Kaiser war

3.Remiiscences of Incidents and problems facing young officers in the Kaiser War

4.Incidents in the Kaiser War 1914-18

My book ( booklet ) is 27pp with 5 maps and cost 5 shillings when new and was sold via W.H Smiths.

[Rum Ration]

Some of the rarest titles don't command high prices because they are almost unknown to collectors.

The Sixth Marines Troupe is almost totally unknown to collectors and historians. Even the folks at the United States Marine Corps Museum had never heard of them. The only evidence of their existence are two different theatre performance booklets and a unit photograph. The booklets were printed in Germany 1919 and should be considered extremely rare.

The WW I USMC Company histories (not the reprints) are also rare.

[MartH]

Some of the rarest titles don't command high prices because they are almost unknown to collectors.

The Sixth Marines Troupe is almost totally unknown to collectors and historians. Even the folks at the United States Marine Corps Museum had never heard of them. The only evidence of their existence are two different theatre performance booklets and a unit photograph. The booklets were printed in Germany 1919 and should be considered extremely rare.

Are these the programs of the performance, or a published book?

[Rum Ration]

Are these the programs of the performance, or a published book?

These are the programs of the performances.

[MartH]

These are the programs of the performances.

Very interesting, could you show more please.

[Ken S.]

Sorting through some of my books the other day I came across my copy of Philip Child's "God's Sparrows" -- an autobiographical (?) novel (first published in England in 1937) about Dan Thatcher, who enlists with the Canadian Field Artillery, and his upper class family from "Wellington" (Hamilton, Ontario). Child was born in Hamilton and attended school in Toronto. It's been ten years since I first read it and there's not much that I remember about it aside from a few thinly-veiled references to places in Hamilton, and a "Romany" character. When I first chanced upon my copy - a somewhat worn pocketbook reprint (1978) discarded from a high school library - I could only find one listing for $50. I would have thought more copies would have surfaced since then, but apparently not. I can't find any. I remember it as being a little intense and confusing, and I fully understood why it had slipped into obscurity -- but at the same time I remember reading it avidly because of its local connection. I hope in re-reading it after a decade I will perhaps better appreciate it.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

There's quite a bit on this novel and its availability on the Field Punishment No.1 website - https://peregrineacland.wordpress.com/2012/09/09/philip-child-and-gods-sparrows-the-ncl-edition/

It also shows a copy of the 1st UK edition as well.

[Guest]

Bond of Sacrifice Volume II has proven to be quite elusive. I have been looking for an original copy for a few years.

[Ken S.]

Appreciate the link. Very interesting about the low sales of the NCL. The wear on mine is similar, and the printing on the spine is almost all gone (but the spine is not creased). Of course mine has all the library markings and stickers -- the due date, however, card is pristine.

There's quite a bit on this novel and its availability on the Field Punishment No.1 website - https://peregrineacland.wordpress.com/2012/09/09/philip-child-and-gods-sparrows-the-ncl-edition/
It also shows a copy of the 1st UK edition as well.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Appreciate the link. Very interesting about the low sales of the NCL. The wear on mine is similar, and the printing on the spine is almost all gone (but the spine is not creased). Of course mine has all the library markings and stickers -- the due date, however, card is pristine.

Several of the other Canadian memoirs are exceptionally scarce, notably Acland's 'All else is Folly' & Redvers Dent's 'Show me Death', particularly with their jackets still on.

[Ken S.]

Definitely on the lookout - esp. for another copy of Acland's book poor enough condition to read. The reprint wouldn't be the same.

Among the few other uncommon Canadian books that I have is "Tillicums of the Trail" (currently two copies on abebooks for $15 and $45) and a booklet about the Canadian Corps Cyclist Battalion, a library rebind, published I believe in 1969.

Several of the other Canadian memoirs are exceptionally scarce, notably Acland's 'All else is Folly' & Redvers Dent's 'Show me Death', particularly with their jackets still on.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

On Ebay at the moment is a copy of Ben Assher (Colin Borradaile's) Artillery memoir 'A Nomad Under Arms'. Published in 1931 it's a scarce but by no means rare account. However inside the front cover a previous owner has pasted the front panel of the jacket. Now in all my 40 odd years of collecting these things I've never seen a jacketed copy & delving into the National repositories has failed to yield an example. So unless I'm told otherwise I suspect this may be a unique item. Rarest Book??

[MartH]

On Ebay at the moment is a copy of Ben Assher (Colin Borradaile's) Artillery memoir 'A Nomad Under Arms'. Published in 1931 it's a scarce but by no means rare account. However inside the front cover a previous owner has pasted the front panel of the jacket. Now in all my 40 odd years of collecting these things I've never seen a jacketed copy & delving into the National repositories has failed to yield an example. So unless I'm told otherwise I suspect this may be a unique item. Rarest Book??

Rarest Published book. How many unjacketed copy are there?

[Black Maria]

On Ebay at the moment is a copy of Ben Assher (Colin Borradaile's) Artillery memoir 'A Nomad Under Arms'. Published in 1931 it's a scarce but by no means rare account. However inside the front cover a previous owner has pasted the front panel of the jacket. Now in all my 40 odd years of collecting these things I've never seen a jacketed copy & delving into the National repositories has failed to yield an example. So unless I'm told otherwise I suspect this may be a unique item. Rarest Book??

I have a signed copy which I guess is quite scarce , but like you , I have never seen a jacketed copy for sale ( or even part of one).

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Rarest Published book. How many unjacketed copy are there?

I've probably seen it 5 or 6 times. Being published during the 'war books boom' it would normally have had a print run of maybe 1500 copies but Witherby's was a tiny publisher so probably less than half that.