Turner Donovan Military Books - The world’s finest selection of rare and out-of-print books on British military history from 1800 to 1945
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Latest Books The most recently added books   30 Books
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LIEGHTON (John Langdon, Formerly Ensign, USNRF) SIMSADUS: London. The American Navy in Europe. 1st Ed., xii+169pp., frontis., 33 photos. & charts. NY: Holt & Co. 1920  #60452
[HLMainPic] SIMSADUS was the cable address of the American Admiral Sims in London during 1917-18 - SIMS ADMIRAL US - the author served on his Intelligence Staff & Falls states that "His book contains a glowing appreciation of the able & energetic commander under whom he served & also a good deal of valuable general information." Contains much pertinent detail on US Navy operations in European waters, the bases at Queenstown, Brest & Gibraltar, the submarine war, &c. Orig. blue cloth, lacking ffep but a most interesting copy inscribed in ink by "Walter O. Grant. Lt. Comd. RNAS Liaison Officer to Admiral Sims United States Navy 1917-1918" plus tipped-in letter from the author to Major [sic] Grant, 1925: "I am gratified that my humble views on the co-operation of the British & American navies have found favor in the sight of another Englishman who knows the true story... I remember you well on the fourth floor at No. 26... [Admiral Sims] is in the best of health &, though retired, seems to find the intellectual & physical education of his children - the oldest fourteen & the youngest six - as absorbing as he did the work of his Command." Various newspaper clippings attached to rear eps, including 1936 obit. of Sims, who had died of a heart attack at Boston aged 78. See illustrations on our website.   £90
PRIESTLEY (J.B.) The Town Major of Miraucourt. 1st Ed., (v)+31pp. VG in remains of glascine wrapper. Heinemann. 1930  #60451
[HLMainPic] Single edition, limited to 525 numbered & signed copies of which this is No. 290. The novelist served in the war with the 10th (S) Bn. Duke of Wellington's Rrgt. (in the ranks, wounded 1916) & commissioned in Devon Regiment, which provided the inspiration for this short story, believed to be his only published work with a war theme. Orig. full vellum with most of the orig. glascine wrap., this being a scarce survival. Boards warped, as always, due to the nature of the binding, o/w VG. Some cataloguers have stated that a slipcase was issued, but in fact this is not the case. See illustration on our website.   £65
Tales of a "Dug-Out." By An Officer of the "Die-Hards." 1st Ed., 122pp. George & Sons. 1915  #60449
[HLMainPic] An interesting contemp. work by an unknown author. Stories, some true, some not: The publishers offered a prize to the first reader to identify all the true ones. The prize was £5 - a useful sum in 1915 - entrants needed to send their entries by March 31st 1916 accompanied by 'the outside band of the book.' It is emphasised that no correspondence would be entered into it seems that like so many competitions today the judges decision was final. Winners would be announced in the Press. The author was apparently a known writer on sporting matters but on this occasion he had agreed to be anonymous for the purposes of the competition. Orig. pictorial cloth, little rubbed, generally a nice copy & uncommon. See illustration on our website.   £45
BACON (Adml. Sir R.H.) The Life of Lord Fisher of Kilverstone, Admiral of the Fleet, OM, GCB, GCVO, LLD. 1st Ed., 2 Vols., xxviii+312pp., 23 plates & vii+328pp., 15 plates.H&S. 1929  #60448
[HLMainPic] For many years the standard biography of Jackie Fisher: "The first authorized biography: sympathetic to its subject but not slavishly so. Outdated in important respects, yet still useful..." - Marder. This copy in excellent & sumptuous contemp. full blue calf by Sangorski & Sutcliffe, boards with gilt rules, sp. with raised bands & decorated compartments, possibly the author's own copy with neatly tipped-in envelope to front blank of Vol. I containing letter to the author: "My dear Admiral, Your book is a really great work. The picture of Jacky is extraordinarily accurate and complete... I have read it slowly and critically, living again in memory through all the events in which he and I worked together... I loved Jacky, his genius, his courage, his bouyant spirits... Thank you for writing the book and keeping our beloved friend's name and fame fresh and enduring. Yours ever sincerely R. McKennna" i.e. Rt. Hon. Reginald McKenna, who features frequenty in the work. McKenna was a Liberal politician & First Lord of the Admiralty 1908-11: as such he worked closely with Fisher during the Dreadnought building programme. He became Home Secretary in 1911 & Chancellor of the Exchequer under Asquith in 1915, & during the war he raised taxes considerably in order to pay for the war effort then retired from public life when Asquith's government fell at the end of 1916. A lvery nice & interesting copy. See illustration on our website.   £225
MURRAY (Lt.-Col. Hon. Arthur C., CMG, DSO) At Close Quarters: A Sidelight on Anglo-American Diplomatic Relations. 1st Ed., ix+106pp., 8 plates. VG in dw. Murray. 1946  #60447
[HLMainPic] An account of the "fully authorised but informal & unofficial system of liaison between London and Washington" that grew up during 1917-18. Author was Assistant Military Attache to the British Embassy in Washington, concerned with this & various Military Intelligence work &c. VG in dw with lengthy author's presentation copy: "For Mrs Olive Farquharson the excellent Manager - during the greater part of the publication stages of this book - of the great house of John Murray, and to whose artistic taste is due the best part of the book, namely its attractive blue cover! With every good wish from Arthur C. Murray. Feb. 2, 1947." See illustrations on our website.   £45
CONNOR (Ralph) The Sky Pilot in No Man's Land. 1st Ed., vii+311pp. VG in chipped dw. Hodder & Stouighton. 1919  #60446
[HLMainPic] War novel in which the padre Captain Dunbar makes himself unpopular in his CEF battalion by his crusade against liquor, but the men grow to appreciate & adore him at the front & the entire bn. insist on going to his funeral when he is killed. 1st Eng. Ed., VG & attractive pictorial cloth, VG in rare & attractive pictorial dw. See illustrations on our website.   £85
GROSS (Alexander, FRGS) The White Cross Touring Atlas of the Western Battlefields. 1st Ed., [ii]+147pp. (includes 64 maps), 13 plates. Geographia for White Cross Assurance Assoc. nd (1920s).  #60445
[HLMainPic] Early battlefield guide: the whole Western Front covered by maps, with descriptive text & War Graves Index of over 1700 cemeteries. Orig. blue dec. cloth, oval ink stamp of White Cross Assurance Assoc. to tp, cloth little marked, generally VG & scarce. See illustration on our website.   £50
LONG (P.W., MM, Flight Sgt. RAF) Other Ranks of Kut. 1st Ed., 379pp., portrait frontis., 24 photos. Williams & Norgate. 1938  #60444
[HLMainPic] Rare personal experiences of Turkish captivity after the fall of Kut, chronicling the appalling conditions of the BORs & several escape attempts. Orig. maroon cloth, gilt, VG with an fading but interesting ink inscription to front paste-down, presumably by another Kut prisoner: "This book has much sentimental value - kindly return to its owner, Mr J.S. Hudson" (plus several addresses of the owner beneath). See illustrations on our website.   £75
[RICHARDSON (James C.)] The Living, And the Living Dead, By An Old Soldier: Ruminations, Whims, Fancies, Jokes & Philosophies with A Batch of War Experiences Thrown in After 1914-1918. 1st Ed., 206pp. Arthur H. Stockwell. [1923].  #60443
[HLMainPic] Several curious chapters of philosophising preface the author's main war memoirs. He had apparently served in the Boer War, rushed to enlist at the Whitehall Recruiting Office on 4th August 1914, where he was kept as a clerk in the recruiting of others. In November he left Whitehall for Aldershot then for France in December where he was attached (with the Military Mounted Police - MiC refers) to 5th Cav. Bde. HQ, invalided by a kick from a horse in May 1915, he went out to Egypt in Jan. 1916, was i/c XV Corps HQ (MP details presumably - he mentions that one of his duties at Port Said was looking out for spies) then with 22 Div. HQ in Salonika & Macedonia. He observed some interesting events in Flanders & the Middle East & makes interesting comments on the local inhabitants of the countries in which he served, the relationship between the French/Flemish peasants & the British soldiery, &c. Orig. blue/green cloth, gilt to front & sp., minor wear, generally VG & rare. This copy with bookplate E.A.R. Ewen plus presentation bookplate from Ewen to The Library at Christ's Hospital [School], Horsham, in 1926. Ewen was an accountant & evidently a friend of the author: tipped-onto ffep is an envelope containing a letter from the author to Ewen: "Dear Ewen / At a time of stress, I stressed a book! And I have asked the publisher to send you on a copy. If you read it, you will have had a 'bewildering diversion.' Yours ever, James C. Richardson." Plus loosely inserted letter from the publisher forwarding the said book. See illustrations on our website.   £125
RANKEN (H.F., OBE, FEIS) IMBUCASE: The Story of The B.C.I.C. Of The Ministry of Food (A Souvenir). 1st Ed., 232pp., frontis. (group portrait of Committee Members, including the author), 15 photos. Edinburgh: The Edinburgh Press. 1922  #60442
[HLMainPic] A rare & presumed privately printed record of the work of The Butter & Cheese Import Committee of the Ministry of Food during WW1. The title IMBUCASE was the telegraphic address of the department, standing for "Imports of Butter and Cheese." The Committee was formed in 1917 & the author was its Secretary. A detailed account of its work, with several interesting illustrations, several tabular appendices & a list of Licensed Suppliers, some hundreds in all, throughout England, Scotland & Wales. Orig. brown cloth, gilt to sp. & darker brown titling to front alongside a humorous sketch. VG throughout & rare. See illustration on our website.   £95

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