Churchill: A Photographic Portrait by Martin Gilbert

Churchill: A Photographic Portrait by Martin Gilbert lands on the shelves of my shop.

London: William Heinemann, 1974, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Jacket illustration: Churchill in 1943, returning from North Africa. Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Black & White Drawings;

From the cover: The photographs in this volume have been collected by Martin Gilbert during his work on Sir Winston Churchills official biography. As a result of much intensive and thorough research, he has been able to present the reader with a unique range of pictures covering the whole of Sir Winstons life.

Nearly half of these photographs and most of the cartoons come from Sir Winstons own albums. But Martin Gilbert has also searched through many private collections, and has made full use of photographic libraries and agencies; thus he has been able to put together a portrait remarkable for its scope, and for the many unusual photographs of Churchill which it contains.

Many of the photographs in this volume have never been published before. Many have been rescued from fading originals, or from glass plate negatives on the verge of destruction. Making full use of the Churchill papers, and over twenty-five other archives, Martin Gilbert has provided a rich historical commentary, often using Churchills own words, or the words of his contemporaries. Often he has been able to identify the very day on which a photograph was taken, and then to find in the archives what Churchill himself was writing or saying at that time.

This is a fascinating portrait of Churchill a portrait which combines many personal and political facets of a long and stormy career. Churchill is revealed in both serious and light-hearted mood, while quotations from his letters give an absorbing glimpse of what was often passing through his mind of his personal thoughts in moments of dangerous military action, or of intense political excitement.

Churchills ambitions, his hopes, his fears, his likes and his dislikes, his friendships, his whims and his worries, are shown in the context of the man himself -smiling, frowning, at work, alone with his colleagues, or with his family always impatient to persuade his fellow-countrymen to support the causes which he held dear. It is a fine game to play the game of politics, he wrote to his mother in 1895; and from that moment, for over 60 years, he devoted himself to politics. Churchill was often abused and censured, as the cartoons in this volume show. But he never doubted that he would prevail despite much severe criticism and continual disappointments. The photographs in this volume provide a visual portrait of a long and turbulent life, of much frustration and many set-backs, but with its supreme moments of triumph and satisfaction.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper.

Red boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. Bibliography. 9¾” x 7″.

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

Raising the Red Banner: The Pictorial History of Stalin’s Fleet 1920-1945 by Vladimir Yakubov & Richard Worth

Raising the Red Banner: The Pictorial History of Stalin’s Fleet 1920-1945 by Vladimir Yakubov & Richard Worth lands on the shelves of my shop.

Gloucestershire: Spellmount Limited, 2008, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Tables;

From the cover: A truly unique volume on a neglected area of military history, Raising the Red Banner tells the story of the impressive and troubled growth of the Soviet navy. Following the Revolution of 1917 the Bolsheviks found themselves heir to the fallen Tsars obsolete and scattered fleet, much of which would never return home. Often hampered by bureaucracy, political dogma and the interference of Stalin himself (at the last moment Stalin personally insisted that the boilers on a new Soviet destroyer class were repositioned), the Soviet building programme drew from bartered German and Italian technology, plundered British-built Estonian vessels and even a wrecked British submarine salvaged for its valuable design. Such was the Russian drive to match the naval strength of the West that by the start of World War II the Soviet Union had a submarine fleet that outnumbered the combined fleets of its two nearest rivals, and a navy that would grow to become the threat occupying Western admirals through the decades of the Cold War.

Soviet warships of this period have failed to emerge from behind the Iron Curtain to gain the attention of historians, and there is no other book available on the subject as much of the information was previously buried. Displaying an impressive depth of research, Raising the Red Banner includes all classes of battleships, cruisers, destroyers, submarines and other surface vessels, with full specifications including builders, tonnage, speed and armament. It also includes over 200 photographs, most of which are previously unpublished, and will be of immense interest to naval enthusiasts and students of the Soviet era.

Very Good+ in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Slight pull to the foot of the upper panel otherwise a very well presented copy.

Black boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 224 pages. 10″ x 7″.

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

The Faces of World War II by Max Hastings

The Faces of World War II by Max Hastings lands on the shelves of my shop.

Cassell, 2012, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black and White Photographs;

From the cover: The most catastrophic loss of life ever witnessed in modern times, a worldwide political and military effort the scale of which has never been seen before or since, World War II was the last global conflict to have truly shaped our world today. The Faces of World War II is testament to those men and women from nations the world over, whose lives were inextricably caught up in this devastating bloodbath.

From the hard-won conflicts on European soil and in the skies over Britain, to the convoys of the Atlantic, and the struggles in Asia, Africa, and the islands of the Pacific, The Faces of World War II is an evocative account of all the major campaigns and theatres of war. From the Battle of Britain to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, each stage is captured in words and pictures. As well as depicting the troops at the bases and command posts, this book portrays life and death at the frontlines of this mammoth conflict that mobilized over 100 million military personnel.

Very Good in Good+ Dust Wrapper. Gently bruised at the head of the spine and the top corners of the boards with commensurate wear to the dust wrapper with a short, closed, tear to the head of the upper panel. Text complete, clean and tight.

Black boards with Silver titling to the Spine. 288 pages. Index. 9½” x 7¾”.

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

Running with the Fox by David Macdonald

Running with the Fox by David Macdonald lands on the shelves of my shop.

Unwin Hyman, 1987, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Colour Photographs; Black & White Drawings; Diagrams;

From the cover: From an early age, David Macdonald fell under the spell of foxes. He tried to observe them from a crudely-constructed hide and when this failed, he made plaster-casts of fox paw prints. The secretive life-style of the animal intrigued him. Yet its reputation was inconsistent: was it the epitome of cunning, the villain of childhood fables, the scourge of the hen run, or a noble quarry? What was behind the myth behind the fox?

On reaching Oxford University, Macdonald decided to devote his time to the study of foxes. His research was unusual: he did not restrict himself to books, but instead resolved to gain first-hand experience by watching this animal. He learnt the technique of following foxes through the night, recording every aspect of their behaviour and discovering facts that other naturalists had failed to notice.

He relied on the latest technology of radio-tagging, night-vision binoculars and often simply on his own extraordinarily tough attitude towards physical discomfort. During his 15-year study in farmland, mountainside and suburban sprawl, the author came to employ many of the same skills as the red fox. He learnt to lie motionless for hours in freezing conditions, he tracked and stalked from dusk till dawn and, keeping always in the cover of the woodlands edge, he learnt the art of running with the fox.

At times, he was able to observe his wild subjects at excitingly close quarters by means of a succession of hand-reared cubs (which acted as spies in the world of wild foxes). One of these, his vixen Niff, was the subject of the acclaimed BBC film The Night of the Fox.

Now, as an Oxford research fellow and the worlds leading authority on the red fox, David Macdonald has written the story of his lifes work. So vividly does he transport us into the world of the fox that you can hear the eerie screams of courting vixens, smell the pungent scent which hangs in the damp morning air and share his elation at seeing cubs gambolling in the long grass.

His painstaking observation reveals the true nature of the beast quite different to its folkloric image. Running with the Fox is a stunningly original insight into one of our most adaptable and beautiful animals.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Small damp stain to the upper board matched on the reverse of the upper panel. Text complete, clean and tight.

Green boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 224 pages. Index. 10″ x 7¾”.

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!

A Photographic Guide to Conformation by Robert Oliver & Bob Langrish

A Photographic Guide to Conformation by Robert Oliver & Bob Langrish lands on the shelves of my shop.

J. A. Allen & Co., 1993, Hardback in dust wrapper.

3rd printing. [First Published: 1991] Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Diagrams;

From the cover: IN YEARS gone by dealers and old stud grooms were the best judges of a horses conformation. Nowadays the only way to acquire an eye for a horse is to study as many different equines as possible, gradually building up a picture of what is desirable in a quality animal. The aim of this book is to assist in that study by providing a detailed guide to the horses outward frame, with the aid of over 250 specially taken photographs accompanied by an expert commentary from distinguished horseman Robert Oliver.

The pictures examine points of conformation of todays horses and ponies, portraying both good and bad features alike. They include not only the faults which detract from the animals overall appearance but also those which can adversely affect its balance and movement and therefore its performance.

The book is divided into sections dealing with the various parts of the body, and also includes photographs and notes on colours and markings, action, and teeth and ageing.

To help the inexperienced to assess the potential of a horse or pony, the book features a series of before and after comparisons, depicting horses in show condition and in the rough.

A final section features illustrations of a wide variety of individual breeds to show how different characteristics and points of conformation come together to create the forms we recognise as breeds or types.

The book is an ideal reference for career students, show judges and horse owners, and will prove invaluable to anyone contemplating buying a horse or pony.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Gently faded at the spine of the dust wrapper and onto the margins of the panels. Text complete, clean and tight.

Blue boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 160 pages. Index. 10″ x 7½”.

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