Search Results: Napoleonic Wars from Wool House Autographic

Quarto. 509 pp occasional mild grubbiness, short closed tears to margins, in good condition. Frontispiece, Britannia attended by British and Prussian officers (dated 1816) Vignette title page (dated 1817) 18 plates (couple with short closed tears at margins), and a folding map (linen-backed, touches of grubbiness, staining to map. all present, one or two out of sequence, but present. Full leather, sympathetically rebacked preserving original spine. Gilt stylings to margins of boards, now largely faded, spine rubbed, decorated in blind, again gilt largely faded. The boards with a few minor abrasions to the leather. Hinges solid. A handsome copy of this title, which would grace the shelves of any collector of books on the Napoleonic Wars.

Title, advertisement leaf, Contents. 232 pages. Original paper covered boards, new endpapers, cream paper spine. A nice, sympathetically restored copy re-using the original boards.. Mild grubbiness, else VG.Gift inscription dated 1821 to front flyleaf. On the title page the name Capt Pococke has been added then scored through in pencil. Above the words 'sedond edition' the name Thomas Howell has been added. Though neither is correct.The Journal is usually attributed to Captain Thomas Pococke or Thomas Howell. Recent research, however has shown that Howell was the editor and not the author. G. Jones in the Bulletin of the Military Historical Society for May 1992 wrote that the Royal Highland Fusiliers owns a copy of the third edition inscribed by Howell, who writes 'the real name of the hero is not Thomas, the Christian name used in the Journal - James Todd is the individual I got the greater part of the journal from.'Most of the memoir concerns the Peninsular Campaign under Wellington ending at… Read More

Quarto, 89 pp. with two folding maps; one of Spain and Portugal with the march of the British column highlighted, slightly misfolded along folds; and a map of the action near Corunna with a 7 cm closed tear along one fold. Frontispiece portrait of Sir John Moore. Contemporary ownership name to title page; 'Mary Harris(?)' The book is in a handsome, modern half-leather binding of red cloth with magenta leather, and gilt stylings. Red Morocco label to spine with title in gilt. New endpapers in cream and grey. The book is in good order internally, the hinges are secure, binding is solid. Pages with occasional grubbiness, toning, pale staining/foxing, but a solid copy of this work in a stylish modern binding.

Octavo, 373 pp. plus 6pp publisher's catalogue. Straight-grained, red Morocco, ruled in gilt with gilt corner decorations. Slight wear to the corners, a few small marks, and some rubbing to the edges. Spine with a slight fade. Black label with title in gilt. All edges gilt. Marbled endpapers. No inscriptions. The front free endpaper is slightly loose, attached to the gutter by abraded paper. A handsome little copy of this first edition of the first war novel to come out of the Peninsular Campaign and based on the author's experiences in the Peninsula. It is not clear how much Gleig 'fictionalised' his experiences but whether it be closer to memoir than fiction or not it is a lively read even today full of arresting observations and interest in the local inhabitants he encounters either as villagers, paisonos or soldiers. He is wise enough to admit that it is impossible to come to any understanding of a foreign nation while on the march with a foreign army. George Robert Gleig [1796-1888] Scottish… Read More

Octavo, 435 pp. Marbled, paper-covered boards, half leather, re-backed in a lighter-coloured leather with, what is possibly the original spine label. some rubbing and wear, especially at corners, but really a very nice copy of this rare title. The endpapers have possibly been renewed, but if so a very good match indeed. Former neat, owner's name to title page in pencil. Amongst all the soldiers' memoirs that came out of the Peninsular War very few (only two to my knowledge) were written by quartermasters. Although published posthumously, the memoir here was taken faithfully 'indeed literally' from the author's MS. Surtees [1781-1830] was born in Northumberland to a tradesman and received a reasonably good education. The memoir begins with his participation in the ill-fated Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland. He ends up in Spain by way of Ireland and Denmark (when the British were besieging Copenhagen in 1807). As a quartermaster, he usually observes the war from a distance, but his memoir is no less… Read More