Lot 280
Very Rare War-date Book Signed by British Field Marshall Montgomery (1887-1976) British Field Marshall who commenced the drive at El Alamein that ultimately drove Rommel from North Africa. He waa also involved in the invasions of Sicily and France. Very rare war-date book Poems From the Desert (London: George G. Harrap, 1944), signed ("B.L. Montgomery General") on the limitation page, with signed original frontispiece engraving by illustrator Stephen Gordon. Bound in one-quarter navy leather with tan covers, shield decoration on front andgilt title on spine, 46 pp, limited edition no. 4/110., with Foreword by Montgomery. A fine collection of 27 poems, all but one of which were chosen from entries to a competition announced in the Christmas 1942 issue of the Crusader, the Eighth Army's weekly paper. Only poems actually written in the Western Desert were to be submitted. The 27th poem is titled "A Soldier--His Prayer"; a parenthetical note under the title states, "This anonymous poem was blown by the wind into a slit trench at El Agheila during a heavy bombardment"). Spine ends a bit rubbed, else very good and a nearly impossible book to find.
Estimated Value $400 - 600.
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| Realized $276 |
