Military History from Louise Aird

This is the original program from the 1976 Trooping the Colour, the annual celebration of Queen Elizabeth's official birthday. I don't know if everyone got this program; this one was given to those sitting in the House of Lords section. These images are scans. It is in mint condition, except for a tiny splash of tea on the lower left corner

This is a first edition of The Scottish Soldier, by Stephen Wood, Keeper of the Scottish United Services Museum in Edinburgh Castle. It was published in 1987. It is a detailed study of the evolution of the Scottish fighting man, from the ancient Picts thru to the Falklands Campaign of 1982. The development of the various regiments, uniforms, weapons and fighting… Read more about this item

This is a first edition of Clans and Tartans of Scotland, by the Scots historian Iain Zaczek. Photo #1 is from the publisher. It is an illustrated guide to the clans, tartans and families of Scotland, with high-quality images and the histories of the clans. It begins with a brief overview of the clan system and the tradition of wearing tartan;… Read more about this item

This is a first edition (1994) of Nelson and Emma, the story of one of history's great, and most tragic, romances--between Admiral Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton. It chronicles their life and times, and their letters, with lots of maps, illustrations and photographs. It was produced by the Folio Society, so it is a gorgeous book. 7" x 9 3/4",… Read more about this item

This is the second reprint of Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I, originally published by Jane's in 1919. This is now the world's greatest reference work of its kind, accepted everywhere as a symbol of accuracy and authority. It begins in 1914 with photographs, line drawings and data tables of warships and includes submarines and the aircraft that were integrated… Read more about this item

This is the 1975 reprint of Jane's Fighting Ships 1950-51. The original book is a collector's item; so is this reprint. It's an important book because it illustrates the pattern of development of the world's navies after WWII. It shows the development of the aircraft carrier, and the American Navy's first atomic-powered submarine. It's an exact reprint, in that it includes… Read more about this item

In 1939, John Player & Sons issued the 24-page book Uniforms of the Territorial Army. Smokers in Britain and Ireland found a card in their packages and pasted them into the book. This is one of those books, with the complete collection pasted inside. Note: These images are scans. The book's covers are quite soiled and pages 11-14 (one piece) have come… Read more about this item

This is a mint-condition first edition of Black Watch: Liberating Europe and Catching Himmler - My Extraordinary WW2 with the Highland Division, written by the Scottish physicist, and Black Watch veteran, Tom Renouf (1925-2016). It was Renouf's division which captured Heinrich Himmler in 1945, and this is his wartime memoir. 312 pages, including lots of photos and maps. This book has not been… Read more about this item

This is a stated first edition (1966) of The Grass Crown, the second historical novel in the epic Masters of Rome series by the great Australian writer Colleen McCullough (1937-2015). From the publisher: In this great drama, Marius, the general who saved Rome from barbarian invasion and became consul an unprecedented six times, has fallen into decline. Sulla, his closest associate,… Read more about this item

This is a first edition of Mutiny: Highland Regiments in Revolt 1743-1804, by the English journalist John Prebble (1915-2001). The Highland regiments of Scotland were first raised to police their own land, then expanded in imperial wars. The Gaelic people of the 18th century, who were 3% of the population, supplied the Crown with 65 regiments. Soldiers were rarely willing--they were… Read more about this item

This is a lovely copy of Kim, the famous novel by the Nobel Prize-winning English author Rudyard Kipling. It was first published in 1900. It takes place during the Great Game, or the British wars in India. Kim is an Irish orphan who becomes a spy. This book, a book club edition, is hunter green boards with a gold design… Read more about this item

This is a first edition of First to the Front: The Aerial Adventures of 1st Lt. Waldo Heinrichs and the 95th Aero Squadron - 1917-1918. It was written by the journalist Charles Woolley and published in 1999. Publisher's Description: The 95th Aero Squadron was the first American pursuit squadron to fly over the front in March 1918 and 1st Lt. Waldo Heinrichs was… Read more about this item

This is a first edition of The Long Left Flank: The Hard Fought Way to the Reich, 1944-1945, by the Canadian Army officer and military historian Jeffery Williams (1920-2011). It is the story of the battle to clear the Channel coast and open the port of Antwerp. The struggle, which saw appalling casualties, is not well-known because the battle of… Read more about this item

This is a first edition of Man of Valour: The Life of Field-Marshal The Viscount Gort, VC, GCB, DSO, MVO, MC by Sir John Colville. It is a solid assessment of an underappreciated figure in the Allied war effort of World War II. Known in Britain as 'our man in France', Gort was decorated with the Victoria Cross for his actions… Read more about this item

This is a copy of Sir Walter's Scott's Old Mortality, one of the Waverley novels first published in 1816. This one deals with the period of the Covenanters, featuring their victory at Loudoun Hill and their defeat at Bothwell Bridge, both in June 1679. A final section is set in 1689 at the time of the royalist defeat at Killiekrankie. This… Read more about this item

This is the June 1993 issue of Harper's Magazine. See Table of Contents Scans Hollywood Publicists and Ad Execs Mongolian Journey in Search of the White-Naped Crane The Death and Life of a Gay Naval Officer Child Abuse, by Children 82 Pages The original mailing label is on the cover. The Double Acrostic was completed. The paper has yellowed. But this magazine was not read; all of… Read more about this item

This is a first edition (UK/original) of Epic Sea Battles, published in 1975. It was written by the British naval historian William J. Koenig and contains hundreds of photographs, drawings and maps. In discusses 12 battles, beginning with the Battle of the Nile in 1798 and finishing with the Battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944 (see Contents photo). It is… Read more about this item

This is an unread copy of Wooden Ship: The Art, History and Revival of Wooden Boatbuilding, written by the American maritime expert Peter Spectre and the designer/editor David Larkin. It covers simple craft to schooners to motor boats (see contents photo) and is packed with gorgeous photographs and illustrations. It is a big heavy book--9 1/2" x 12 1/2"; it weighs… Read more about this item

This is an unread first edition of The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, written by the Welsh historian Kenneth O Morgan, with contributions from 10 other historians. It begins with Roman Britain (55 BC) and goes up to 1983. It was published in 1984 and remains a best-seller. It is a big, heavy book. 7 3/4" x 10" x 1… Read more about this item

This is a first edition of Regiments of the Scottish Division: Histories, Tartans and Music. It was produced by the British Army as a pictorial history and published in 1973. It is a 34-page, softcover book, packed with photographs (most in color) and covers all of the regiments in the Scottish Division (contents is in photo #2). It's priced the way it… Read more about this item