And the Dawn Came Like Thunder by Leo Rawlings with Bill Duncan (4 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. Leo Rawlings (illustrator). First Edition. First impression of the true first edition. Profusely illustrated with 119 black and white plates and drawings by Leo Rawlings, drawn whilst he was a prisoner of war in Burma, and a black and white photographic frontispiece of Lord Mountbatten to the fore. ***Near fine in black cloth-covered boards with gilt titles to spine. Black and white map illustrated: 'the notorious Railway of Death' front and rear free endpapers and pastedowns. No inscriptions. Pages clean. Spine tight. ***In a very good colour-illustrated dustwrapper that has not been price-clipped, showing original publisher's price of £3.00. Top of the inside of the dustwrapper reinforced with tape (not visible from outside). Edges of dustwrapper slightly creased and rubbed. Head and tail of spine and corners of dustwrapper creased and rubbed. 3mm closed tear and associated creasing to top edge of rear panel of dustwrapper. Spine of dustwrapper slightly faded. Rear and front panels of dustwrapper bright. ***242 mm x160 mm. 160 pages. ***Leo Rawlings was captured at the fall of Singapore and spent three and a half years as a prisoner of war. He made over one hundred eye witness paintings of the conditions he experienced. ***'The Wellcome historical medical museum saw fit to purchase a number of paintings by Leo Rawlings whilst a prisoner of war in Burma' (Quote from rear of dustwrapper blurb). ***First impression of the true first edition, in its original dustwrapper, illustrated throughout with drawings by the author. Of interest to historians researching the conditions of the prisoners of war that were held by the Japanese in Burma during World War Two. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. Jacket and illustrations by the author (illustrator). 1st Edition. Stated first edition, first impression. Some slight edge wear, chipping and rubbing to top and bottom of fab orange 'Rising Sun' jacket and spine, corners slightly rubbed and bruised, folds slightly rubbed, not price clipped (£3.00), no inscriptions, internally clean tight and square, overall a vg+ copy. 160pp, lavishly illustrated. 'And the Dawn Came Up Like Thunder' is the experience of an ordinary soldier captured by the Japanese at Singapore in February 1942. Artist Leo Rawlings' (1918-90), story is told in his own pictures and his own words, a world that is uncompromising, vivid and raw. He pulls no punches. For the first time the cruelty inflicted on the prisoners of war by their own officers is depicted as well as shocking images of POW life. As the Japanese began their last offensive in northern Burma and into India further south the building of the Burma-Thailand railway was nearing completion. More men would die in this last push as they were forced into even greater labours to lay the track. The Japanese urgently wanted the railway in order to support their invasion army. Suffering from a huge open 'jungle sore' that had eaten two inches into his left foot, Leo Rawlings had been transferred into a convalescent camp. Men in this camp were spared the hard labour but very little else of the horrors of the 'Death Railway'. In addition to injuries everyone was suffering from malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies, easily treatable conditions that left untended, caused terrible diseases like Beri Beri, often leading to death. Rawlings was doing his best to record it all. An artist before the war, he risked his life to make what sketches he could of the conditions men lived under. Rawlings came to the notice of Lt. Gen. Sir Louis Heath who commissioned him to keep an accurate record of his experiences and those of his fellow POWs. Rawlings had no paints, paper or brushes so was forced to use plant and clay pigments, scavenged paper and his own hair in the execution of his works. During captivity he stored works in an old stove pipe buried beneath his bed, as their discovery would have been fatal. After the war he worked for the 'Victor' and 'Hornet' boy's comics.

Hard cover in price-clipped dust wrapper, b&w art/sketches and several photos. Dw worn at edges with chipping and small tears, spine a bit faded, board edges a little worn, previous owner's name top of front fep; a good book in an average dw. Relates the experience of an Leo Rawlings, anordinary soldier captured by the Japanese at Singapore in February 1942. His story is told in his own pictures and his own words. For the first time the cruelty inflicted on the prisoners of war by their own officers is depicted, as well as shocking images of POW life. More than just a commentary on the history and terrible facts behind Rawlings' artistic and written work, it stands on its own as a guide to the hidden lives of the prisoners.

Hard Cover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. Rawlings, Leo (illustrator). First Edition. SIGNED AND INSCRIBED BY AUTHOR 'TO KATHY McKAY VERY BEST WISHES SINCERELY LEO RAWLINGS'. Stated First Edition. A very clean, tight and unmarked copy. Dustjacket has a little wear to spine head and tail, sides and corner tips and is not price clipped and has a dustjacket protector fitted. Foreword by Lord Mountbatten of Burma. Dedication by Lord Russell of Liverpool. xxxi and 160 pages. Map of the notorious Railway of Death front endpaper and 119 plates. The artist's (1918-1984) now classic work as a prisoner of war for three and a half years of the Japanese in World War II, in which he describes the railway camps, the bridge building on the River Kwai, Changi in Singapore, the fall of Singapore, and all of the horrors experienced by the POW's - all graphically illustrated by his now famous drawings. **** A VERY SCARCE SIGNED COPY **** 22 Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Signed by Author.