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Catalogue No. 182 “Isandlwana”
August 2022
This catalogue contains a rather special offering, i.e., a selection of works from the library of the late Peter Metcalfe. Peter is a much missed friend. He may be termed the consumate collector, in his choice of books and documents in the areas that interested him and in his extensive correspondence and research in connection with his collection. Some time before he died Peter asked Glenn Mitchell (of Peter Harrington) and Tom Donovan to assist in the inevitable dispersal of his library. The books are offered by us jointly. This is the first full catalogue of several (a few outstanding items appeared in our Gallipoli Revisited catalogue in 2020). The Crimean War, a particular interest, will merit an entire catalogue to itself.
We are a leading dealers in rare and second hand books on British military history from around 1800 to 1945. The Great War, 1914-1918, has always been our speciality and we hold extensive stocks of regimental and divisional histories, official histories, standard works, memoirs, Rolls of Honour, Army Lists and so forth. For more information see www.turnerdonovan.com. |
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Reminiscences of The Great & Good Sir Henry Lawrence, K.C.B., Also of The Indian Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, Including the Siege & Re-Capture of Delhi; Being Extracts From the Story of My Chequered Life.
 A personal appreciation-cum-eulogy of Sir Henry Lawrence from the author's experience of him, containing, inter al., "some touching & deeply interesting episodes in Sir Henry's beautiful life, several of which were only known to the writer, owing to his having seen so much of this truly great man's inner life, though only for a short period..." Recollections of Lawrence are followed by Mutiny memoirs: "With regard to my reminiscences of the great sepoy mutiny, I had such an exciting time of it, with many providential & hair-breadth escapes, both at the siege of Delhi & in its vicinity, that the story of them cannot possibly fail to interest my readers of every class, even though it be but indifferently told." Young's earliest memories of Lawrence date from Lawrence's holidays with the Young family north of Londonderry (his father had been at school with Lawrence at Foyle College). Only one copy on Library Hub (formerly COPAC), this at the British Library. The copy here offered inscribed by the author to front: "To Mrs Walker. With the Author's kindest regards. R.S.Y." Not in Ladendorf. Raugh 700 but no footnote so probably not seen. Orig. brown printed paper covd. boards with brown/tan backstrip, head & tail of sp. chipped o/w VG & rare. See illustrations on our website. 1893. £750
Alarms & Excursions in Arabia.
 Rare & immediate personal account of the author's camel treks in the Sultanate of Oman including his crossing the Rub 'al Khali ("the Great Sandy Desert of Southern Arabia one of the last parts of the world to remain a blank on our atlases"). During the course of his travels "Mr Thomas also relates some of his other extra ordinary adventures. He tells of an expedition against a rebellious sheik, in which he supported British Regular Forces by an irregular force of tribal Arabs, and of how, as a District Officer, he held out during the Mesopotamian Insurrection and was finally rescued by aeroplane from his besieged house..." Nice orig. red cloth, gilt, complete with chipped but rare dw. See illustrations on our website. 1931 £500
The Great War as I Saw It.
 Detailed experiences of the senior chaplain of 1st Canadian Division in France 1915-18 inc. all main operations. The second & enlarged edition of the classic memoirs. Orig. red cloth, titled in black, VG in attractive & scarce dw. See illustrations on our website. 1934 £125
The Gambardier: Giving Some Account of Heavy & Siege Artillery in France 1914-1918.
 Detailed classic account based on personal experience with 90th Bde. RGA in France from Festubert 1915 through the Somme, Arras, Ypres & Messines to the final advance in 1918, containing much useful information on guns & gunners. Orig. dark green cloth, titled in black (second issue binding), slight sp. lean o/w VG in the desirable & striking dw designed by R. Hartman, this little chipped but a nice clean example. See illustrations on our website. 1930 £375
War Memoirs of David Lloyd George.
 The wartime PMs extensive memoirs were considered to be (vide David French in 'The First World War & Military History') one of the numerous "self-justificatory books about the war... Foremost amongst those works... was Lloyd George's 'War Memoirs'... Lloyd George wrote them to defend himself against 'a stream of criticism polluted with much poisonous antagonism' & to restore his reputation as the man who won the war. When they were published 'he was very sick that Haig & Robertson were not alive. He intended to blow their ashes to smithereens... Unfortunately he could not get at them personally.'" (includes quotes from 'Life with Lloyd George: The Diary of A.J. Sylvester' [Cross, Ed., 1975]. Ian Beckett ('The First World War & Military History') discussed the immense publishers' advances that he was supposed to receive & explains some of the complications that delayed publication. A mixed-edition set of the original unexpurgated 6 volume text, remarkable in that all the volumes are VG in their original blue cloth bindings retaining their dws, all in VG state. Note: This set also includes the following contemp. six leaflets: (i) England & Germany (8pp. leaflet, a speech by LG when Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1908, including views on entente, two-power standard, &c.); (ii) Mr Lloyd George's Speech on the Road Hogs of Europe (8pp. leaflet on The Fight Against Barbarism. Inspiring Vision of the New patriotism [1914]); (iii) The Great War (16pp. pamphlet of speech delivered in London, 19th Sept. 1914, regarding National Honour, The Case of Serbia, &c.); (iv) British War Aims: Statement by the Prime Minister... January 5, 1918 (12pp. pamphlet); (v) Unity of Disruption? The Two Issues. A Clarion Call to Wales: A Speech by DLG to the Welsh National Liberal Executive, 8th Feb. 1921 (16pp. booklet); (vi) The Jewish Agency for Palestine & The Zionist Federation of GB & Ireland: Dinner in Honour of DLG, Table Plan, Dr. Chaim Weizmann in the Chair, Savoy Hotel, 11th April 1931 (fldg. table plan with complete list of 400+ guests). A most interesting complete set, VG in dws with six unusual extra pieces loosely inserted. See illustrations on our website. £350
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Campaigning in South Africa: Reminiscences of An Officer in 1879.
 Rare personal account of the Zulu War with the 94th Regiment until appointed Brigade Major of the 2nd Brigade (under Col. Collingwood) in Newdigate's 2nd Division, including the Battle of Ulundi & the provisional funeral of the Prince Imperial. He served also in the Sekukuni Campaign until invalided home as a consequence of a severe fall from his horse. An atmospheric account of the campaign & life in the country. The author's regiment was hurriedly mobilised in Feb. 1879 upon receipt of the news of the disaster at Isandlwana & arrived in Cape Town soon after: there follows an extensive account of Montague's experiences. Raugh (2772) notes "Capt. Montague describes his journey to northern Natal, campaign life, the Battle of Ulundi, & the aftermath of the Anglo-Zulu War, 1879." Orig. blue cloth, with gilt dec. & titles to front & sp., head of sp. little bumped, light/minor wear overall, VG, housed in purpose-made blue cloth drop-side box with gilt title to sp. panel. See illustrations on our website. 1880 £1200
Wyld's Military Sketch Map (aka Military Staff Map) of Zulu Land, Transvaal, & The Adjoining Territories.
 Superbly detailed map with hand-coloured detail, approx. 10 miles to 1 inch, principally Zulu Land & the Transvaal, together with portions of the OFS, Natal & Portuguese possessions in East Africa. All important townships & geographical features clearly shown, as also state boundaries &c., in addition to which are shown "Position of the British Advancing Columns, Jan. 11th 1879" i.e. the Right Column under Col. Pearson; the Right Centre Column (Col. Durnford); the Left Centre Column (Col. Glyn) & Headquarters of Left Column (Col. Wood) near Utrecht, the location of Roeke's Drift & the Battle of Isandlwana, 22nd Jan. 1879, &c. The publisher was the premier cartographer in London at the time. Attractive map in excellent clean condition, VG throughout. See illustrations on our website. 1879 £600
Reminiscences of the War 1914-1919.
 Superbly presented volumes, some 69,000 words in all with 50 illustrations & maps, forming one of the most comprehensive & appealing unpublished chronicles of active service that we have encountered, both well-written & finely illustrated: Two years on the Western Front and one in Egypt and Palestine are delineated in detail; big offensives or quiet periods; fellow officers, good and bad, are profiled and officers in various units are listed. Hospitals, training courses and camps, and life behind the lines are all described. The breadth of the writer's personal experiences and his acute observations on the horrors of The Great War and the effect it had on some of those engaged in its prosecution remain remarkable and shocking to this day. Ed. at Haileybury and a surveyor by profession, Stanley Fred Singleton enlisted in the RAMC (TF) in 1909 and transferred to The Sharpshooters in 1910. An exceptional memoir in fine state throughout. See illustrations on our website. £2500
John Dunn, Cetywayo, & The Three Generals.
 John Dunn's memoirs of his life in Zululand from 1858 onwards, prepared for publication by the distinguished & prolific historian & authority on Zulu affairs, Moodie, who provides an interesting four pp. Preface in which he asserts that Dunn has been misrepresented to the English as "a perfect gorilla" when, in fact, "he is a quiet, retiring & hospitable gentleman, of pleasant appearance & manners, of good family, & much esteemed by all those who have the privilege of his acquaintance" who was apparently "deeply wronged by being deprived of his country & his chieftainship, after having been the utmost use to the British cause during the Zulu War..." Raugh, 2877, adds: "This is the story of John Dunn, the 'white chief' of Zululand, his relationship with Zulu King Cetshwayo, & his impressions of the three generals he served under in the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War: Lord Chelmsford, he asserts, was 'a thorough gentleman, & good & brave soldier, but no general'; General Crealock 'was a good commanding officer,' but 'of fighting had occurred he would not have shone as a general'; & Sir Garnet Wolseley, 'a good general, a thorough soldier, &, in fact, a man fir for any emergency.'" Orig. blue cloth, gilt title to front, neatly recased with orig. spine panel laid down, little rubbed & spotted but generally VG thus & rare, housed in purpose-made blue cloth drop-side box with gilt title to sp. panel. See illustrations on our website. £850
Sketch of the Military Services of Lieutenant-General Skinner and His Sons.
 Privately circulated records of the distinguished services of several members of the Skinner family of Ledbury, Shropshire (not to be confused with the "Indian" Skinners), including reproduced correspondence from various campaigns. The subjects are (i) Lt.-Gen John Skinner (1752-1827) who was commissioned in the 16th Foot in 1772 & spent almost all his service in America & the West Indies, participating in various American campaigns, the expedition to Guadaloupe &c., with various reproduced correspondence from these campaigns; (ii) Lt.-Col. Thomas Skinner CB (1800-1843) commissioned 16th Foot 1816, commanded 31st Foot with Pollock's force to Kabul in 1842 (includes various correspondence from this campaign describing events). Note: orig. wraps laid down on later paper & neatly rebacked. Another copy studied by Peter Metcalfe for comparison purposes contained 3 or 4 colour portraits not present in this copy. See illustration on our website. 1863 £325
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