41 replies to this topic

[Dust Jacket Collector]

It's interesting to see how the price of certain original WW1 books has been soaring of late. Only a few months ago a leading London auction house sold jacketed 1st editions of Junger's 'Storm of Steel' & Lushington's 'Gambardier' at over £1000 each. The former was recently sold on for £2250. But it's all a matter of supply & demand - some of these books are exceedingly rare. I think the most I've paid was around £400 for Lucy's 'Devil in the Drum' in its jacket - but I've never seen another one.

[squirrel]

I have first editions of Macgill's The Great Push and The Amateur Army, second edition of The Red Horizon and use the Leonaur trilogy reprint as a working book. I also have a first edition of his Soldiers Songs. The latter was the most expensive. I have a number of other first edition and some considered to be rare books.

New books can also cost sometimes; Skennerton's The Lee Enfield, England's Last Hope by Mitchinson for instance.
There are always sites such as Abebooks for more recent publications which are out of print or hard to get hold of and ex library books are usually reasonably priced.

N & M reprints are fine if you don't want to spend a fortune on first editions or older books but some of these do cost a bit; Statistics 1914-1920 for instance.

It all depends on your interest, your wallet and what is available at the time that you want to buy.
I reckon most of us would pay what we thought a book was worth to us, what we could afford and also if it may, perhaps, be an investment. I have set myself a maximum limit for any book and see what is available as requirements come along - although I did exceed that limit recently........I tell myself it is a "one off", of course.

[Steven Broomfield]

squirrel, on 31 August 2011 - 10:37 AM, said:

It all depends on your interest, your wallet and what is available at the time that you want to buy.

And (of course) whether the lady wife and associated daughters are watching.

[squirrel]

Steven Broomfield, on 31 August 2011 - 10:47 AM, said:

And (of course) whether the lady wife and associated daughters are watching.

My wife has yet to comment on what I buy when she checks the bank statement - I tell her the books are an investment for her when I am gone...it seems to have worked so far...

[Terry Duncan]

Is it worth the price? Well, if you really want a book then the answer is yes. Some books just do not get reprinted or become available at low prices, so I would always say it is best to buy it if you want the book irrespective of the price.

The most I have paid for a new book was £70 for John Brookes Dreadnought Gunnery book, which was worth it even though it has since been released as a paperback. For older books, £300 for the complete set of From the Deadnought to Scapa Flow - which were all first editions as it turned out, or £100 for Raven and Roberts British Cruisers of World War Two. I dont regret buying any of them, but adding up the cost of a collection can be a bit daunting, as can the cost of the record collection!

[blackmaria]

Dust Jacket Collector, on 30 August 2011 - 09:19 PM, said:

It's interesting to see how the price of certain original WW1 books has been soaring of late. Only a few months ago a leading London auction house sold jacketed 1st editions of Junger's 'Storm of Steel' & Lushington's 'Gambardier' at over £1000 each. The former was recently sold on for £2250. But it's all a matter of supply & demand - some of these books are exceedingly rare. I think the most I've paid was around £400 for Lucy's 'Devil in the Drum' in its jacket - but I've never seen another one.

Im a collector of Great War memoirs as well,i started off buying new reprints and now collect originals.I agree,the prices can be well over the top(no pun intended).One of my most expensive purchases was a first edition of Alan Hanbury-Sparrow's memoir The Land-Locked Lake(signed and in dustjacket) for £200.To me it was worth that,not only because i probably won't find another, but in my humble opinion it's one of the best War books ever written and long overdue a reprint .It was last reprinted in 1977 by the author,limited to 500 signed copies (even these are quite scarce and expensive).

[DavidB]

I was looking for a copy of 3rd pioneers at war by Keating (published in 1922 or 23) - none around of course but was quoted by a second hand book seller at over 1000 dollars (about 650 pounds)
if any came on the market. Fortunately my cousin has a pristine copy as her dad was a Sgt in the 3rd pioneers and he had an original copy.

[uncle fester]

If i could afford first editions i would buy them,but sadly i cannot.
But it is worth it if somebody really wants a book, and good luck to them if they can get them.
Regards Terry

[tonya]

The other day i found that the hardback copy of First day on the Somme, (Martin Middlebrook)1977 edition, was signed by the author. All for £4 off Amazon. That is certainly worth every penny and more.
In my opinion the best book written on WW1, with he exception of Robert Graves''s individual masterpiece.

As to the value and worth of a book-as with all things it is worth what value any individual attributes to it.

My grandfather gave me a signed, pristine copy of S. Sassoon's 'Memoirs of a Foxhunting Man' (One of about 200 signed by both SS and the illustrator) Value on the open market is about £1500. I wouldn't sell it for even double that figure.  (Indeed i am uncertain what i would sell it for....)

[rflory]

In 1997 I purchased a seven-page typewritten manuscript (copy #1 of five copies) of a Brief History of 31st Divisional Artillery for £175 - that is £25 per page!  Have no idea what it would cost today as I have never seen another copy.  Dick Flory

[skipman]

rflory, on 06 September 2011 - 10:13 PM, said:

In 1997 I purchased a seven-page typewritten manuscript (copy #1 of five copies) of a Brief History of 31st Divisional Artillery for £175 - that is £25 per page!  Have no idea what it would cost today as I have never seen another copy.  Dick Flory

That's an expensive book. I found A Short History of the 39th (Deptford) Divisional Artillery 1915-1918 (you may have it already)

Cheers Mike

[rflory]

Mike: Yes, I already have A Short History of the 39th (Deptford) Divisional Artillery 1915-1918, but thank you for bringing it to my attention.
Dick Flory

[skipman]

rflory, on 07 September 2011 - 05:40 AM, said:

Mike: Yes, I already have A Short History of the 39th (Deptford) Divisional Artillery 1915-1918,
Dick Flory

I hope it didn't cost £25/page?  £2375  

Cheers Mike

[Blackblue]

Try here mate...the first and last word in AIF unit histories.....

http://regimental-bo...world-war-1-c-6

Rgds

Tim D

[tonya]

I am going to publish a book based on my great uncle's war letters from the front. He was in 248 Seige battery. They were attached to 17th Brigade RA in 1918. It is the period from April 1918 to the end of the war that i am interested in.
Should anyone have any info I would be most grateful. I have come across two people via this site who had relatives in the same battery. From what i have found out they had no war diary (after April 1918) and i am relying  on 17th brigade's war diary.
Many thanks,
Tony

[skipman]

Finally managed to buy a copy of Nulli Secundus for $85 Aus. Is it worth it? I reckon so. Have just had a quick look, and it has much that will be useful, and interesting to me.

Mike

[Robert Dunlop]

tonya, on 07 September 2011 - 10:12 AM, said:

Should anyone have any info I would be most grateful.

Don't charge £25 a page    Seriously though, very best wishes for the project Tony. It would be super to have these memoirs in print.

Robert