H.M.S. Ulysses - Signed Copy in Unrestored Dust Jacket

Language: English

Published by Collins, London, 1955

  • First Edition
  • Signed
  • Hardcover
  • Used
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Seller: Arch Books, London, United KingdomArch Books

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since January 18, 2023

Hardcover

Condition: Used - Near fine

£ 800.00

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Item description from seller

MACLEAN, Alistair. H.M.S. Ulysses. Collins, London, 1955. First edition, first impression. Signed by Alistair MacLean in blue ink on the title page. Octavo. Original red cloth, spine lettered in gilt; 320 pages; front endpapers printed with a map tracing Convoy FR77 through the Arctic seas to Murmansk, rear endpapers with a detailed diagrammatic drawing of H.M.S. Ulysses. In the original pictorial dust jacket designed by John Rose, retaining the 12s. 6d. net price. MacLean’s first novel drew directly upon his wartime service in the Royal Navy and his experience of the Arctic convoys. The fictional cruiser Ulysses and her exhausted crew are sent on a final convoy voyage through appalling weather, enemy attack and relentless physical strain. Its combination of technical realism, bleak atmosphere and extraordinary tension established MacLean immediately as a major writer of post-war adventure fiction and launched a career that would include The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra and Where Eagles Dare. Loosely inserted is the original note reading: “Sent on instructions of Miss Jane Watson ‘with best wishes for a quick recovery’”, followed by “With the Compliments of Messrs. John B. Wylie & Co., Ltd., 430 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, C.2.” The book is near fine. The unrestored dust jacket is near fine, with light wear at the extremities and spotting to the rear panel. An excellent example of MacLean’s most important title.…

Seller Inventory # ABE-1786445874315

Bibliographic details

Title
H.M.S. Ulysses - Signed Copy in Unrestored Dust Jacket
Author
MACLEAN, Alistair
Publisher
Collins, London
Publication year
1955
Condition
Near fine
Signed
Signed by Author(s)
Binding
Hardcover
Language
English
Illustrator
John Rose
Edition
1st Edition
Printing
1st Printing

Arch Books

London, United Kingdom

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since January 18, 2023

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Store description

Arch Books is a specialist rare book business based in Richmond, London, dealing in first editions, fine bindings, travel and exploration books, illustrated books, military history, historical documents, and antique prints. We help private collectors, interior designers, gift buyers, and institutions source distinctive works on paper, with particular emphasis on condition, provenance, bibliographic accuracy, and presentation. Founded in 2020 by Guy Nathan, his own interest in collecting works on paper began in 2005, following a visit to the Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair with his grandmother, Pauline Willes, herself a passionate collector. That experience ignited a lifelong fascination with historical documents, art, scientific illustration, military ephemera and literature. For someone with a deep interest in history, collecting offered a particularly tangible way to understand the past - not simply through the events themselves, but through the objects, images and words by which they were recorded and experienced at the time. Whether a scientific drawing, a piece of military ephemera or a work of literature, each provides its own direct connection to a particular moment in history. The thrill of holding a first edition of Shackleton’s South, for instance, lies in that sense of immediacy: experiencing the book much as its first readers did in 1919, and encountering his extraordinary story through the same pages that introduced it to the world. Website: https://www.archbooks.co.uk Enquiries: guy@archbooks.co.uk Member of the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association (PBFA)…

Specialty

Fine Bindings, Antique Prints & Rare Books

Seller's business information

Arch Books

United Kingdom

Welcome to Arch Rare Books & Antique Prints
My own interest in collecting works on paper began in 2005. A visit to the Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair in 2005, with my grandmother, Pauline Willes, a passionate collector, was the experience that ignited my lifelong fascination with historical documents, art, scientific illustrations, military ephemera, and literature. My love of history made this a fantastic way to learn more about the history of events and how they were documented, whether through art, scientific drawings, military ephemera, or literature of the time. The thrill of holding a first edition of Shackleton's South, for instance, is the thrill of experiencing history firsthand, retracing the steps of those who first encountered his incredible story in 1919.

My family history has profoundly shaped my interests. From my great-grandfather, Vyse Millard, an infantry officer wounded at Ypres in 1915 who later earned a Distinguished Flying Cross with the Royal Flying Corps in North Africa, to my grandfather, Archie Nathan, who led the renowned costumiers L&H Nathans—suppliers to the Royal Family from the reign of Queen Victoria onwards, the Royal Households of Europe, and countless theatrical and film productions.

L&H Nathan's contributions extended beyond the stage. Following my grandfather's World War I service in North Africa, the company, under MI9's guidance, provided specialised clothing for SOE agents operating in occupied Europe during World War II. Some amazing historical keepsakes remain, including original letters from Charles Dickens, childhood drawings by Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret, and theatre programmes for plays held at Osborne House during the reign of Queen Victoria, which are still held by the wider family.

The historical items showcased on this site, many from my own collection, reflect a deep personal interest in the past.

It was this interest that led to the creation of Arch Rare Books and Antique Prints (Arch Books) in 2020.

Guy, February 2025

https://www.archbooks.co.uk/pages/about-us