Great War Dust Jackets

The

“On Active Service”

Series

John Lane, The Bodley Head

 

 

“In the ‘On Active Service’ series Mr. John Lane is bringing together a collection of narratives by eye-witnesses, in the Great War, of typical experiences at the front, and also other accounts of special dramatic or historical interest. The publisher believes that as Europe settles slowly into the new order the War will appear more and more extraordinary in its gigantic perspective and astounding range. The very men who now wish to forget it will be interested in narratives which recall to their memories the strange atmosphere of 1914-1918, and innumerable people will turn with curiosity to genuine chronicles of these amazing years.”

This, the longest contemporary series of War memoirs, was published by Bodley Head between 1919 & 1922. Although now little regarded and rather scarce they do form a unique & compelling body of narratives which in many cases are well worth reading. I print below the original introduction to the series.

Probably the scarcest of the series. Klein was the brother of Denise Robbins, Queen of Romantic fiction. He also set up business in Kobe, Japan from where this copy originates.

The Helen Boulnois is taken from a b&w photo. ‘Pushing Water’ is the US edition from John Lane.

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The above 3 volumes have been kindly supplied courtesy of the Random House Group Archive & Library.

 

* Capt. Delius was one of the composer Frederick Delius’ younger brothers.

Soldiers’ tales of the great war

Heinemann

I’ve not seen the 3 missing volumes with or without their jackets. Maybe they were never published?

All UK Heinemann apart from ‘In the Field’ from Lippincott & ‘My 75’ from Doran.

I’ve not managed to ascertain the exact number of titles in this series (the BL list only 9). The 13 listed below are the only ones I’m aware of so far. The exact order of the series is uncertain as the publisher often gives different numbers within & on the jacket of the same book!

each vol. Cr. 8vo, Cloth, 3/6 net

 

 

I. WITH MY REGIMENT by ‘Platoon Commander’ (Arthur Hobart Mills) 1915

II. DIXMUDE by Charles le Goffic 1916

III. IN THE FIELD by Marcel Dupont 1916

IV. PRISONER OF WAR by Andre Warnod 1916

V. UNCENSORED LETTERS FROM THE DARDANELLES 1916

VI. ON THE ANZAC TRAIL by ‘Anzac’ 1916

VII. ‘CONTEMPTIBLE’ by Casualty (Arnold Gyde) 1916

VIII. IN GERMAN HANDS by Charles Hennebois 1916

IX. FORCED TO FIGHT by Erich Erichsen 1916

X. MY ‘75’ by Paul Lintier 1917

XI. ON TWO FRONTS by Major H. M. Alexander 1917

XII. NURSING ADVENTURES by Anon (Grace McDougall) 1917

XIII. GENTLEMEN AT ARMS by Centurion (J. H. Morgan) 1918

THE SOLDIER (& sailor) BOOKS

Hodder & Stoughton

All published in 1916 in stiff card covers at 1/- each.

 

THE VIGIL by Dell Leigh

ODD SHOTS by ‘One of the Jocks’

LIFE AMONG THE SANDBAGS by Hugo Moran

THE PADRE by ‘Temporary Chaplain’

SOMEWHERE by Sapper Robert Hall

SPRINGBOKS IN EGYPT by ‘Captain’ (Miller)

GALLIPOLI DAYS AND NIGHTS by Trooper L. McCustra

SUVLA BAY AND AFTER by ‘Juvenis’

SUN, SAND AND SIN by Joan Kennedy

AN ALPHABET FROM THE TRENCHES by Wardle & Dunlop

THE BLACK HOLE OF THE DESERT by the Crew of the ‘Tara’

& the only 2 volumes I know under the Sailor Books banner

 

H.M.S. NAVAL YARNS by ‘Ward Room’

SONGS OF THE SAILOR MEN by T.B.D.

BOOKS OF THE GREAT WAR

Collins

A seemingly blatant attempt by Collins to cash in on the

‘War Books Boom’

All 6 books were published in April 1930 but unlike

the other series shown here none of the works are

original, having been previously published nearly a decade earlier.

THE WAR ON ALL FRONTS

Scribner 1918

5 volumes of re-issues, the missing volume being ‘England’s Effort’ by Mrs. Humphry Ward

(from Fons)

SOLDIERS’ TALES

Peter Davies 1929 - 30

There were some 11 volumes in the series but only 3 of them concerned the Great War

Beatrice Thompson’s elusive account of her time in Italy.