Rarest book?

[GreyC]

1 hour ago, charlie2 said:

I suppose Druckvorschrift would make more sense in this case.

In all the library catalogues it is Dienstvorschrift, though.

But as I said, both versions circulate.

GreyC

[Dust Jacket Collector]

This just came my way. The War poet, Herbert Read, privately published this poem in 1919 as a tribute to his brother who was killed in the War. I’ve never seen another copy for sale & can only find a single copy in a library in Australia - no copies in the U.K.

[seaJane]

20 hours ago, Dust Jacket Collector said:

Herbert Read, privately published this poem in 1919 as a tribute to his brother who was killed in the War.

That's a bit special! 

[Dust Jacket Collector]

55 minutes ago, seaJane said:

That's a bit special! 

I’d never heard of it before. It just popped up on one of my regular searches. Don’t know if it’s been included in his collected poems - it wasn’t in the one that came out in the 1920s.

[seaJane]

The most recent Collected Poems came out in 1992 but I haven't a copy and can't find a searchable version. The poem gets a mention in Henry Treece's Herbert Read: An Introduction to His Work by Various Hands (Faber, 1944, reprinted 1969) and in David Goodway's Herbert Read reassessed (Liverpool University Press, 1998 [e-book 2004]). Below is a partial list of his works from the latter title.

 

 

[other ranker]

I have had a good week finding books. Bought from WOB, for a tenner, a limited edition copy of 'Bullets And Billets'. 100 copies were printed, each copy having an individual drawing by Bairnsfather in the front. See picture. The Bruce Bairnfather Society has a great piece about the birth of this book and is really worth reading.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

19 minutes ago, other ranker said:

I have had a good week finding books. Bought from WOB, for a tenner, a limited edition copy of 'Bullets And Billets'. 100 copies were printed, each copy having an individual drawing by Bairnsfather in the front. See picture. The Bruce Bairnfather Society has a great piece about the birth of this book and is really worth reading.

What a superb drawing. Bairnsfather often did fairly peremptory sketches when asked but this is a rather fine effort. Really detailed. Well done. I think I’ll print it off and stick it in my copy!

[rflory]

On 23 January 2021 Dust Jacket Collector posted in this topic an image of the book The Hampstead Heavies by Walter Wright. Today I was looking through the posts in this topic and noticed his post.  It lead me to check my copy of the book and I noticed that on the first page it had the address of the previous owner "A. Wright, 131 Malden Road, Kentish Town NW 5."  Finding it interesting that it was the same surname as the author, I turned the page and found a further inscription "To Alf, with best wishes from Uncle Walter, Christmas, 1926."  The inside front cover has a tipped in newspaper obituary of "Mr. Walter Wright" and the inside back cover a photograph of "Senior Officers & N. C. Officers  138 (Hampstead) Heavy Battery, R.G.A." and an arrow indicating Sergeant W. Wright.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

For anyone looking to complete their Official History of the War collection, a copy of what is by far the rarest volume, Military Operations : Persia, has finally gone on sale. It’s one of the ‘Confidential’ copies which went to some U.K. libraries. I’ve not seen one in decades, apart from mine, & this copy could be yours for £6500 from Peter Harrington. Better hurry though as they’re taking it off to the Abu Dhabi bookfair.

[charlie2]

Quite a bargain compared to some of the other books on their way to Abu Dhabi and there is also a „free“ copy of the 1987 public edition to sweeten the deal. 

[MartH]

1 hour ago, Dust Jacket Collector said:

For anyone looking to complete their Official History of the War collection, a copy of what is by far the rarest volume, Military Operations : Persia, has finally gone on sale. It’s one of the ‘Confidential’ copies which went to some U.K. libraries. I’ve not seen one in decades, apart from mine, & this copy could be yours for £6500 from Peter Harrington. Better hurry though as they’re taking it off to the Abu Dhabi bookfair.

I beg to differ, the rarest British official history of the Great War by far is the "Naval Medical History of the War", estimated print run of circa 20, and 5 have been known to survive. It’s so rare it’s not in any bibliographies on Official Histories, i.e. all the Higham’s or Wells. It is however in our own SeaJane's exemplary scholarly work that was based upon years of work in naval Medical Libraries and their collections.  It was even unknown to a noted military book dealer in Brighton.  As Harrington’s sometime catalogue unique books it is “beyond rare”.

[seaJane]

51 minutes ago, MartH said:

is however in our own SeaJane's exemplary scholarly work

Merci du compliment . I have in my time had my hands on two of the extant copies, although an earlier version of most of the whole volume may be pieced together from articles in the Journal of the RN Medical Service.

sJ

[Dust Jacket Collector]

1 hour ago, MartH said:

I beg to differ, the rarest British official history of the Great War by far is the "Naval Medical History of the War", estimated print run of circa 20, and 5 have been known to survive. It’s so rare it’s not in any bibliographies on Official Histories, i.e. all the Higham’s or Wells. It is however in our own SeaJane's exemplary scholarly work that was based upon years of work in naval Medical Libraries and their collections.  It was even unknown to a noted military book dealer in Brighton.  As Harrington’s sometime catalogue unique books it is “beyond rare”.

I bow to your superior knowledge, Martin. I have to admit I’d never heard of it. The bookcase that holds my Official Histories is full so maybe I can give it a miss. Is there a link to SeaJane’s work?

[MartH]

Alan its here Great Was Medical bibliography

[Dust Jacket Collector]

11 minutes ago, MartH said:

Alan its here Great Was Medical bibliography

Thanks Martin. I remember it now. A monumental and seriously impressive piece of work. If only I had such patience and perseverance.

[seaJane]

4 hours ago, Dust Jacket Collector said:

Thanks Martin. I remember it now. A monumental and seriously impressive piece of work. If only I had such patience and perseverance.

Blush . I need to go through it, as the JRNMS.com site has closed down.

[Marilyne]

hi all, 

I don't know what I've just been given... our PSC Ambassador had been cleaning out things and as he heard I was a WWI person, he decided to give one of his books to me. It's an original "Mémorial des Alliés" of 1926. 

The book itself is more than 20 cm high and it's a monumental collection of documents and facsimiles of signatures from authorities of all the allied countries of the war. 

Impressive !!! 

Somebody knows about this?? 

M.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

40 minutes ago, Marilyne said:

hi all, 

I don't know what I've just been given... our PSC Ambassador had been cleaning out things and as he heard I was a WWI person, he decided to give one of his books to me. It's an original "Mémorial des Alliés" of 1926. 

The book itself is more than 20 cm high and it's a monumental collection of documents and facsimiles of signatures from authorities of all the allied countries of the war. 

Impressive !!! 

Somebody knows about this?? 

M.

New to me but then I only collect books I can actually read! Looking on ABE it seems there were 2 volumes several copies of which are available at prices from only £17 to an eye-watering £660! Looks like an interesting book though.

[Marilyne]

In this case it's the two volumes in one..

[seaJane]

Picked this up recently and treating it with care:

[GreyC]

Pretty and probably pretty rare, too!

Congrats,

GreyC

[seaJane]

17 hours ago, GreyC said:

Pretty and probably pretty rare, too!

Congrats,

GreyC

I'd like to think so - I should probably look them up on WorldCat, but I would expect there to be the usual competing forces of mass-produced souvenirs vs. inherently fragile material.

The bindings are a bit shaky (I have two, of which this is the more interesting imho) but the tissue inserts seem to have preserved the flowers well.

[GreyC]

It´s quite astonishing to see them that well preserved after all this time and considering the distances travelled!

GreyC

[MartH]

So time to post a new purchase to do with Official Histories that is rare.

The Australian Military published 4 volumes for officier student whilst they were studying between the wars.

Here is one recently arrived;  The Campaign in Mesopotamia. Up to 30th April, 1917 by C G Miles, 1929, with seven maps in the back pocket, don't know the print run but many have not survived. Quotes from: Bean, British Official Histories, and the super rare Indian Army Critical Study of the Campaign in Mesopotamia up to April 1917 parts 1 and II.

 

 

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Very nice, Martin. Not seen any of those before.

Speaking of Official Histories, Vol 3a of the Order of Battle of Divisions, which had eluded me for years, turned up twice in the last few weeks. Had to buy one of them which was near perfect and not ex-lib. Just need to find those missing Munitions volumes & of course the Carless Davis!