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BLUNDEN (Edmund)
De Bello Germanico: A Fragment of Trench History written in 1918 by the author of Undertones of War.
1st Ed., 83pp. Hawstead: G.A. Blunden.
1930
#67345
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![[HLMainPic]](booksThumbs/67345.jpg "Click on the left or right of the image for more images")
Written ten years before 'Undertones of War' containing descriptions of his early war experiences at Festubert & Cuinchy in 1915, elegantly written but less flowery, and to some minds more appealing, than his classic memoirs (which depict the same events but are contrastingly different). Published here for the first time by Blunden's brother who explains: "The following manuscript having come into my possession, I decided to make it the opening number in my present Publishing experiment... we find 'Undertones' & 'De Bello Gemanico' in complete understanding with each other. While 'Undertones' has the mellowness of time & experience, this older story gives more attention to the very small detail which a young soldier was sure to notice..." Orig. paper covd. boards with labels to front & spine. Rare, one of just 250 copies printed (as well as 25 signed copies on special paper), this example with the bookplate of James Johnston Abraham MD FRCS, who was Blunden's surgeon at Princess Beatrice Hospital in 1932-33. Abraham served in the war, as a lieutenant-colonel in the RAMC, & received the DSO. The two men were also bound by literary endeavour as Abraham was working on a biography of the 18th Century surgeon Dr. Lettsom, which Blunden in due course reviewed for the TLS (1933) & "commemorated both physicians in the poem 'To I. Lettsom' (1934)" - Webb: 'Edmund Blunden: A Biography.' Some foxing to front endpapers o/w VG, retained in fine quality custom-made drop-side box of fairly recent date, with gilt titled green morocco sp. & small oval to front with "AV" monogram. See illustrations on our website.
£500
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