The Royal Army Medical Corps by Redmond McLaughlin

The Royal Army Medical Corps by Redmond McLaughlin lands on the shelves of my shop.

Leo Cooper, 1972, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black and White Photographs;

From the cover: This book, though short, is nevertheless the first comprehensive history of the Royal Army Medical Corps ever published. Formed in 1898 out of the old Army Hospital Corps (which had no officers) and the Medical Staff, it had the distinction of being granted the title Royal from its formation. It had owed much to the reforming zeal of Florence Nightingale, but such improvements as were made in hygiene and administration during the latter half of the nineteenth century had to wait upon the revolutions of the twentieth century in both transport and medical knowledge to reveal the amazing versatility, adaptability and courage of the new Corps. It was not, after all, very long before the First World War that Kipling wrote of The young British Soldier :

When youre wounded and left on Afghanistans plains
And the women come out to cut up what remains
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An go to your Gawd like a soldier

The author has not confined his story to broad outlines and threat campaigns. The moving record of medical work during Japanese captivity, the heroic surgery with the Maquis, and the superlative contribution of the medical reams at Arnhem, under conditions that remain unparalleled, are given their rightful place of honour. And, in contrast to these grim episodes, there is a brief, unexpected glance at a journey to the North Pole. This is not only the story of a Corps that has pioneered many major surgical advances, it is also the record of countless acts of heroism, epitomized in such men as Martin Leake and Noel Chavasse. It is a worthy memorial to them and a noble tribute to a wonderful and progressive body of men.

In the Famous Regiments series.

Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Small stickers cover a patch on the front pastedown, colophon on the title page and bibliographical data to the verso. Text complete, clean and tight otherwise.

Red boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 121 pages. 8¾” x 5¾”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!

The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal: Exploring the Ghost Fleet of the South Pacific by Robert D. Ballard with Rick Archbold

The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal: Exploring the Ghost Fleet of the South Pacific by Robert D. Ballard with Rick Archbold lands on the shelves of my shop.

Warner, 1993, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Colour Photographs; Maps;

From the cover: IRON BOTTOM SOUND IT GETS ITS NAME FROM ALL the ships that sank there. From August to November of 1942 the tropical waters off the small island of Guadalcanal were the scene of some of the fiercest sea battles of World War II. Fifty years later, Robert Ballard, the man who discovered the Titanic and the Bismarck, took his exploration team to Guadalcanal. Their goal was not one ship but an entire naval battlefield. On board were some of the men who had served on those ships that now lay beneath Iron Bottom Sound. The memories of these survivors help tell a powerful, poignant story of men and ships and war.

The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal re-creates the whole story of the campaign that changed the course of the Pacific war. For all the fame of its air and land battles, Guadalcanal is also a compelling story of sailors and warships. In fact, more Americans died in Guadalcanal waters than on land. The terror and confusion of night naval action is conveyed here in gripping chapters that describe first the bitter American defeat in the Battle of Savo Island and then the struggle to eventual victory in the climactic Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. We then descend in Ballards submarine to view scenes of American, Australian, and Japanese ships lying together on the ocean floor, their guns still eerily pointing at each other.

With over 300 illustrations, this book has all the pictorial richness that helped make bestsellers of Robert Ballards two previous books, The Discovery of the Titanic and The Discovery of the Bismarck. Haunting pictures of the wrecks are paired with photographs of the ships in their prime; a spectacular full-page foldout reveals the USS Quincy and the Canberra, painted in accurate detail by maritime artist Ken Marschall. Full-colour maps and diagrams plus a host of paintings and present-day photographs help to both re-create this extraordinary chapter in the history of the Pacific war and convey the excitement of modern underwater exploration.

Very Good in Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper with substantial fading to the spine. Dust wrapper a little loose. Text complete, clean and tight.

Blue boards with Gilt titling to the Spine & Upper Board. 227 pages. Index. Bibliography. 11¼” x 8¾”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!