Military

The Army List, fortieth edition pub by the War Office, 1st Jan 1972. Bound in red morocco, with gilt tooling to front and rear boards and spine. Rubbed, but a handsome binding. Small white library nos to foot of spine. One or two unobrtusive lib stamps else good. Marbled endpapers, slight residue of a lib plate removed from front endpaper. Bookpkate of 'George Morrison'. A few pages with mild staining. A good copy.

A Treatise on Deportment &c including the Science of Horsemanship being a complete manual of instruction for the use of young persons, in the aquirement of those accomplishments as well as a self monitor in the exercise of and duties of a cavalry soldier for the use of gentlemen who are members of Yeomanry corps: comprising likewise, instructions for the lance and carbine exercises. Also, the description of a military game resembling the game of chess; calculated to initiate Young Gentlemen who are designed for the Army, in the Science of Tactics or Military Manoeuvres. Second Edition by Samuel Gribble Regimental sergeant major of the corps of Sherwood Rangers. Derby, printed for the author by William Bemrose and Co, Market Place.

A rare title and complete with large folding frontispiece depicting a soldier in the image of Vitruvian Man (images two + three) ; a second large folding plate being the game board for the military game mentioned in the title (image one); a plate depicting a horse jump and another depicting what I take to be a diagram of marching formation on horseback. 138 pages + pp 139-145 are the rules of the game + 2 pages explanation of how to follow the exercises depicted on the frontispiece + errata + 4 pages of subscribers most of whom appear to have come from the Nottingham area.

Marbled boards (covers, edges and corners rubbed) with deteriorating cloth spine. Title page with part cut from foot. Pencilled date 1829. Elaborate written ownership name to front free endaper appears contemporary. Title page, folding frontis (stiff paper) and front free endpaper mounted on a stub which is detaching. One leaf of the 'Contents' detached. Numbered from page 14, but no missing pages.

A rare title, complete with the folding game board. For the pieces one had to apply to the author or bookseller) but since the rules are present it would be quite possible to provide one's own. The folding frontispiece depicts - interestingly - young women going through the physical exercises (dumb bell practice, I think!)

Contents include sword exercises, lance exercises, carbine exercises, horsemanship with and without stirrups, jumping, physical exercises etc.

Despite the general condition - which I would describe as fair/good and repairable -this is a rare title and the addition of the game board in good condition (as is the frontis) adds to its attractions. The rules of the game suggest that the pieces are meant to move similar to those in chess.

Records of the Rough Riders, by Captain H. G. McKenzie Rew, published by Brown & Wilson, Bedford 1907. Beige cloth, few small spots (ink?) to rear board, gilt titles to front board and spine, gilt slightly faded on spine. Silver illustration of regimental badge to front board. 289 pages including index. Octavo. Illustrated with photos, line drawings and maps. Foldout map showing the treks of the companies of the XXth Battalion I.Y. (Inperial Yeomanry nicknamed The Rough riders after the US regiment who fought in Cuba). Hinges good. Black, original endpapers.

The title is scarce enough but this copy has the added distinction of being a presentation copy from R. B. Colvin to the Revd F.B. Johnston, inscribed on the verso of the frontispiece, which is itself a photo of Colvin who was the commander of the battalion in South Africa. A very good, solid copy made unique by the inscription.

Conduite en Guides et de l'Entretien des Voitures, by Jouffret. 149 pages, softback, 1889 published by Librairie Militaire de Baudoin. Page edges alittle grubby, some foxing, some pages uncut a good copy of a classic work on driving carriages and maintenance of horse equipment, harnasses etc.

A nice copy of a rare title. Red cloth gilt stamped to front with title. Little bit of rubbing to cloth at top and bottom of spine. Binding solid. Folding plate to rear showing historical variations in rate of fire. One or two small pencil marks, stamp on title page 'with the publisher's compliments'. 160 pages. Rare.

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The Theory and Construction of Fortification by Lieutenant Charles Bisset printed for the author and sold by A. Millar opposite to Katherine Street; D. Wilson, at Plato's Head both in the Strand and R. Dodsley in Pall Mall, 1751 1st edition. Blank, Title page, 2 page dedication, 6 page preface, list of subscribers, errata, Introduction. 205 pages, 15 folding plates to rear. Bound in contemporary marbled boards, half leather. Boards well rubbed, leather to corners worn and furred. Small abrasions to leather of spine. Lable starting to peel. Gutters fornt and rear reinforced with linen tape, smartly done. Internally, Title page with damp spotting to edge continuing through, but diminishing preface and contents. rest of pages good. The plates are good, some browning at edges. Plate XV has more edgewear with slight loss to plate margin. A good solid copy of a very rare volume in the field. Bisset was born near Dunkeld in Scotland and was a physician as well as a soldier. This work rarely appears for sale..
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Exceptionally rare copy of Recollections of One of the Light Brigade, by Albert Mitchell, published in Canterbury in 1885, the first edition and with fascinating associations. Mitchell was a 24 year old private in the 13th Light Dragoons. After the war he became a police constable in Kent. This copy of his memoir belonged to Lt. Col Anstruther Thomson of Charleton in Fife. Thomson was in the 13th Hussars and a manuscript note states that the book was published by him and Captain Baden Powell (who at this time would have been 28 and also in the 13th Hussars). The book was published 'for the benefit of Sergeant Mitchell,' presumably to help him out financially. Also included are two letters; to Anstruther Thomson thanking him for sending copies of the book; one from Arthur Halkett (of the 42nd, Black Watch), whose brother(?) died in the Charge. Halkett's letter mentions several episodes from the war. The second letter is from Captain Thomas Hutton of 7, the Circus, Bath. He was shot in both legs during the famous charge, but survived. He is buried in Locksbrook Cemetery. In his letter Hutton writes of preserving the book by sending it to book binder and this binding survives though the backstrip is coming away. The original soft wrappers are bound in. Several other clippings pasted inside refering to the Charge. No other copies of this rare memoir online at time of putting this catalogue entry together.

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Ruhleben Racecourse outside Berlin was commandeered as an internment camp to house male British civilians and merchant seamen and foreigners with British connections as war broke out in 1914. Under the Geneva Convention the prisoners were given wide freedoms including their own printing press, which they used to publish a monthly magazine from June 1915 giving a remarkable insight into life in the camp. From no. 1 June 1915 to the Christmas issue and including a 'bye-election special', all with covers bound together in green cloth/patterned boards. The signature of one of the inmates, Julius Neville (actually a German citizen with an English mother) to cover of issue no. 1. Illustrated with many small drawings and caricatures and views of the camp., some clearly showing black merchant seamen.
Interesting controversies such as how the motion for a meeting of the Debating Society - 'Should war babies be legitimised' - split the camp. The bye election special appears to have been conceived as an 'entertainment' where three candidates stood: Israel Cohen, the Jewish author stood as the Liberal; a Mr. Boss stood for the Conservatives; and a Mr. Casting stood, intriguingly as a 'Suffragette' candidate, surrounded by 'lady' supporters. He won.

Privately printed Letters Written from the Crimea of Major Fiennes Cornwallis, collected by Mrs Wykeham Martin of Leeds Castle, 1868. A rare collection of letters written by a Cornet in the 4th Light Dragoons. Only 3 copies held by Oxford, BL and Univ. Of London. This is a family copy presented to Arthur Wykeham Cornwallis, the son of Fiennes.
'Arthur Wykeham Cornwallis, from his affectionate uncle Moyneham Martin, letters that his poor papa wrote in the Crimea, Major Cornwallis.'
Arthur was only two when his father died in a hunting accident. Slim octavo, a vg copy. Blue cloth binding, slight dink to spine and top edge of rear board, slight fading/mottling to foredge of front board. No copies online at time of cataloguing.