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Monsarrat, Nicholas : H M Corvette

Cassell and Company, Ltd, 1942

92 pages (complete). Signed by Nicholas Monsarrat on the frontispage. A mild-mannered copy. Softcover with flaps. The covers are worn, scuffed, rubbed and marked. They are sound and sure. Within, the contents have foxing about. They are gently aging. However, the pages are comfortable, clear, companionable and of generous spirit. fk. Book Condition: Good. Binding: Softcover. Jacket: No Jacket

First Edition.
Signed

MONSARRAT**, NICHOLAS: : H. M. CORVETTE

LONDON.CASSELL,1942.

ISBN No ISBN.

UK,slim 12mo French wraps,1st edn.[True UK 1st edn with the 'BOOK PRODUCTION WAR ECONOMY STANDARD' advice/notification,and stated 'First published . . . 1942'.An uncommon and scarce example in a book of this age and given the period of production,i.e. 1942-1946 - with wartime paper-rationing,the quality of paper generally used and the survival rates of air-raids.In the case of hardback edns,any dw/dj would have been of substandard quality and prone to subsequent disintegration and usually discarded,or be reverse printed - possibly coming from an entirely different book/title.This edn precedes both the US wraps and H/back edns of 1943 and was simultaneously issued with the only other 1st H/back English language edn Cassell,Australia,1942.) VG+.No owner inscrptn and no price-clip (2s.).Both internal flaps of cover internally pasted - French wraps.Bright and fairly clean - some inevitable but minor,minimal grubbing /marks - b/w photographic illustrated front cover with white lettering,rear cover with book's precis to white background,white lettering on blue to lightly edge-rubbed spine/backstrip; with negligible shelf-wear or creasing to edges and corners - no major excessive nicks or tears present.Head of spine/backstrip with 3/10ths" edges splits - but no significant loss.Top+fore-edges ubiquitously but sporadically foxed and spotted,foxing continuing throughout the text and the book,otherwise contents bright,tight,solid and sound with no intentional dog-ear reading creases.UK,slim 12mo French wraps,1st edn,5-92pp [paginated] includes author's Two-Minute Alibi (foreword) with acknowledgements to it's reverse,contents list/table with illustrations list/table to it's reverse,7(VII) chapters,6pp comprising 7 contemporary b/w photographs, plus [unpaginated] half-title page, author's contemporary b/w portrait photographic illustrated frntis and title page. This book is a record,in note-book form, of life in a corvette,written by a Lieutenant of the R.N.V.R. who has served in these ships for nearly two years.It covers every phase of life aboard these small but tough escort-vessels - the weather they contend with,the chances they take,the gauntlet they have to run. Occasionally humorous,often grim,and with a never-failing sea-flavour about it,it gives a complete and vivid picture of the work done by corvettes in escorting convoys in the Western Approaches,and brings home sharply and uncompromisingly the perils faced every day and night by the Navy and the Merchant Service in keeping Britain's North Atlantic life-line free. 'H.M. Corvette' is one of those gems of writing thrown up by the tide of war,a piece of pointed,robust and picturesque work that will answer the sea call that is in every Briton's heart. The first book of three books: 'East Coast Corvette' (1943) and 'Corvette Command' (1944) that went to comprise the slightly abridged,1st UK,8vo HB+dw/dj title 'Three Corvettes',first published by Cassell,London in,1945.Along with this set,'HM Frigate' (1946) then provided the definitive and almost continuous record of corvette service in WWII of the author's own wartime service.Furthermore they contain much of the inspiration and context,and in several cases actual incidents which reappear in the author's post-war masterpiece 'The Cruel Sea' (1951),highly regarded and acclaimed as the finest novel of the Royal Navy in WWII. Please contact seller,because of the lighter weight and value of this item for correct,insured shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! ** N.B. US customers please be aware: US standard AIR postage from UK to US can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. 1/2 to 2/3rds of standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving long before the quoted 42 days - but not always.

UK,12mo French wraps,1st edn.
Not SIGNED.

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