DRAWING FIRE: THE DIARY OF A GREAT WAR SOLDIER AND ARTIST
Language: English
Published by Collins, London, 2009
- First Edition
- Hardcover
- Used
Seller: Orlando Booksellers, Lincoln, United KingdomOrlando Booksellers
AbeBooks seller since January 11, 2000
Condition: Used - Near fine
£ 20.00
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
First World War diary, full of colour and black & white sketches by an accredited War Artist, published for the first time after being discovered amongst family papers by his nephew David Mason. True first edition with full number string sequence including the number "1" on the publication page: 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. ***Colour and black & white illustrations throughout. ***Near fine in dark red cloth-covered boards with gilt titles to spine. Dark red front and rear end-papers and paste-downs. No inscriptions. Spine tight. Head and tail of spine very slightly rubbed. Pages clean and bright. (N.B. The slight "foxing" effect one can see in the margins of the interior pages in the scan is where the original diary has been photographed, and is not actual foxing in the published book). Printed on quality heavyweight paper. ***In a near fine colour illustrated dustwrapper, which has not been price-clipped, showing original publisher's price of £20. No tears. No fading. Front and back covers and spine bright. ***383 pages including appendix of letters to rear. 248 mm x 160 mm. ***'Len Smith joined the City of London Regiment on his 23rd birthday in September 1914, and fought in some of the bloodiest battles of the First World War- at Loos and Vimy Ridge - before being drafted as an observer and becoming an accredited War Artist.' (Quote from inside back flap of dustwrapper blurb). ***'In reading this diary it will be well to remember that it has with definitive reason not been embellished or altered in any way from the original scrawl in an old French notebook. ---'I preferred to retain a faithful copy of the diary as written on the spot - "the spot" being sometimes sordid, noisy, terrifying, wretched and utterly uncongenial to clear thought and orderly writing.' (Quote from inside front flap of dustwrapper blurb). ***'The horrors of war in the trenches are brought to life with a rare immediacy and power through the diary of soldier and artist Len Smith. Living through battles such as those at Loos and Vimy Ridge, Len survives with a mixture of whimsical humour, bravery and sheer good luck. Len's colour sketches of the people and places he encountered create an extraordinary intimacy and tremendous sense of being at his side during this experiences.' (Quote from back of dustwrapper blurb) ***An incredibly packed, detailed, profusely illustrated First World War diary, written and illustrated by a solider and official War Artist. *** 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. ***Please note that this is a heavy book and will incur extra postage.…
Seller Inventory # 1844x
- Title
- DRAWING FIRE: THE DIARY OF A GREAT WAR SOLDIER AND ARTIST
- Author
- Private Len Smith
- Publisher
- Collins, London
- Publication year
- 2009
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Dust jacket
- Near Fine
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 0007313845
- ISBN 13
- 9780007313846
- Illustrator
- Private Len Smith (War Artist)
- Edition
- First Edition
- Printing
- First Impression
- Item weight
- 1.1 kilograms
- Seller catalogs
- Arts, History & Military, World War One (First World War)
A vivid and powerful diary of life in the trenches
The horrors of war in the trenches are brought to life with a rare immediacy and power through the diary of soldier and artist Len Smith. Enduring battles such as those at Loos and Vimy Ridge, Len survives with a mixture of whimsical humour, bravery and sheer good luck.
Len enlisted as an infantryman in the City of London Regiment on his 23rd birthday, 22 September 1914. During the war years he kept a journal on scraps of paper which he hid in his trousers to smuggle home at the end of the war. At the same time, he added to his thoughts with colour sketches of the people and places he encountered.
His drawing skills were also put to good use to gather and record intelligence on German army positions which he did under great personal risk; they were later used to help plan military strategy. One of his many ingenious contributions to the war was to camouflage a watch tower in no man’s land as a living tree. He had crept within yards of an enemy headquarters and drawn a tree so accurately that a hollow steel replica could be created. In the dead of night the real tree was removed and the fake one put in its place, with the enemy none the wiser. He also spent four days avoiding enemy fire to produce a two-yard long panoramic view of enemy troop lines at Vimy Ridge.
Len, who was never honoured for his actions during the war, was extremely humble about his adventures - after delivering a message through heavy fire a General remarked that his efforts were worthy of a VC. With characteristic good humour Len writes, “I’d like to have assured him in that ordeal a WC would have been more appropriate.”
The diary as a whole creates a tremendous sense of being at his side during his extraordinary experiences.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Len Smith fought in some of the bloodiest battles of the First World War - at Loos and Vimy Ridge - before being drafted as an observer. After a severe bout of trench fever he was transferred to the Royal Engineers Special Branch where he worked on various camouflage devices.
After the war he worked as a commercial artist, and died aged 83 in 1974. His nephew, David Mason, re-discovered the diary amongst family papers.
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Orlando Booksellers
Lincoln, United Kingdom
AbeBooks seller since January 11, 2000
Shipping rates from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
| Item | 8 to 12 business days | 6 to 8 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 20.00 | £ 25.00 |
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Store description
We specialize in 20th Century literature, and in particular, Modern First Editions. We would be interested in buying such books, whether individual items or collections. We are particularly interested in Bloomsbury writers, Beats & Counter Culture and 20th C photography monographs. Our books can be viewed as a whole on ABE, or by choosing one of a number of catalogues that we have set up for particular interests, such as Crime Fiction & True Crime, Collectable Paperbacks, Children's Literature etc.…
Specialty
Modern First Editions, Literature, Literature in Translation, Bloomsbury Group, Counter-culture, Antiquarian, Collectable Paperbacks, Art & PhotographySeller's business information
Orlando Booksellers
1 Rasen Lane
Lincoln, United Kingdom LN1 3EZ
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Mastercard, Visa and PayPal accepted. We also accept personal cheques for UK sales, made out to Orlando Booksellers (UK pounds). Proof of postage is obtained for all items, however, we cannot be responsible for items lost or damaged in transit. Therefore, on higher value items, we offer the option of tracked (insured) shipping which offers peace of mind for both the bookseller and the customer. [See Shipping Terms section below for more information]. We always pack our books extremely well to protect them from any possible damage. Any title found not to be as described may be returned, provided this is done within fourteen days of its receipt. We are happy to offer a 10% discount on book prices for fellow booksellers. Orlando Booksellers is a partnership - Alison Smith and Chris McKee. Our VAT Registration number is 629 3707 21.
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