My book-buying "problem"

Discussion in 'Books, Films, TV, Radio' started by Chris C, Jul 6, 2018.

  1. Wobbler

    Wobbler Well-Known Member

    You are in luck! I’ve got 9,999 copies left in my warehouse out of a print run of 10,000 (managed to sell one in my Lions outlet just the other day as it happens).

    How much do you want to take them away?
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2020
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  2. JDKR

    JDKR Member

    Steve - found it here German Field Works of World War II from original German documents. £12ish is an absolute snip for a pot-boiler of a story. Take it from me, it's completely unputdownable. Hope I'm not giving too much away by saying that the first chapter is Infantry Fire Trenches. Need I say more?!
     
  3. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Well Richard O'Connor arrived in Toronto today (so to speak) and my copy appears to be complete.
     
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  4. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    I feel sorry for some books, in this case Volume 1 of :
    "The Naval History of Great Britain During The French Revolutionary And Napoleonic Wars " by W.M. James, New Introduction By Andrew Lambert, published by Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0 85177 905 0. Published in 2002, dust jacket a bit torn, otherwise excellent, new price £25, bought for £3.99 from local Oxfam. I've already got a version of the 1837 six volume set, but the poor thing needed a home, I think you would all agree.

    Several pages are stamped thus:

    W. James stamp.jpg
     
  5. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    John, you have just reminded me that I rescued several Naval titles from when the University where I work were clearing out our library. They have been sitting in a cupboard for the last year or so. I must go back and see what I have.
     
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  6. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Second copy being disposed? I thought the British Library had to keep at least one copy of all (UK?) books published...or am I confusing them with another Library?
     
  7. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    The rule used to be that they were to receive one copy of every book published in Britain - they weren't obliged to keep it! Back when the BL was in the British Museum the filing systems were so chaotic that if a book was replaced back in the stacks incorrectly it was as good as lost for ever
     
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  8. Vintage Wargaming

    Vintage Wargaming Well-Known Member

    There are five copyright libraries in the UK (the Bodleian is one of the others) who have to be sent copies of every book published in the UK. I don’t know if they have to keep them, and as someone has said they may well have had more than one copy.
     
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  9. Ewen Scott

    Ewen Scott Well-Known Member

    Slight correction. The "Legal Deposit" scheme as it is known only requires initial submission to the British Library. Submission to the others is only required if they so request.

    About legal deposit
     
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  10. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    I believe that the US Library of Congress has a similar remit but they are obliged to retain a copy
     
  11. Vintage Wargaming

    Vintage Wargaming Well-Known Member

    Thanks. It’s about 35 years since I had to deal with them.
     
  12. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    The annual sale at Cambridge University Press book shop in Cambridge began on the 8th of January, but I have managed to avoid it, so far....

    More a book storage problem since I inherited it, but only Volume 1. Probably bought for a few pounds. Some stains, but no foxing, and well bound.


    Bishop1.jpg

    Bishop2.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2020
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  13. Wobbler

    Wobbler Well-Known Member

    I don’t know why, but I’ve always found the use of the “f” for the “s” rather endearing.
     
  14. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    Actually it's meant to be the "long s". English used to have both a long and a short s with now long abandoned (and not clear) grammatical rules as to when one or the other was used. pronunciation .was the same. The long s was written like an f with a long tail and the bar did not go through but only stuck out to the left. This was too fiddly for printers who often just used an f. The long s was abandoned in Britain in the 2nd half of the 18th century but retained for a while in America which is why the US constitution is full of them although not always used consistently
     
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  15. Wobbler

    Wobbler Well-Known Member

    I don’t know why, but I’ve always found the use of the “f” for the “s” rather endearing.
    Very interesting, you live and learn. Thank you very much.

    Martin
     
  16. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Old Hickory Recon

    I errored in my ways today and stopped at the local flea market, where there is a vendor who sells books gleaned from estate sales.

    I was weak, again.

    I bought Battleship Bismarck, A Survivor's Story by Baron Burkard von Mullenheim-Rechberg, 1980, United States Naval Institute.

    and

    Frozen Rainbows. by M. Bedford Davis, MD., 2003, Meadowlark Publishing

    The first is fairly self explanatory. The second are the memoirs of a US medical officer in the Northwest European campaign. Looking at the chapter titles, I am assuming he was with the First Army. I am hoping that I enjoy them both.

    Last week I was milling around in another bookstore and found With the Old Breed by E.B. Sledge. I bought it because I had noticed that i did not own a copy, but thought I had read it in my youth. Well, i was wrong. I finished it two days ago and I can certainly understand why it is held in such high regard. It is one of the best first person accounts I have read (and I have read a lot) and understand why so much of it was used to develop the screen play for HBO's The Pacific.

    I highly recommend it.
    10/10, Will Read It Again.
     
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  17. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    I echo your recommendation concerning " With The Old Breed". I bought a second-hand copy of the 1990 Oxford University Press edition last month.
     
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  18. Wobbler

    Wobbler Well-Known Member

    With The Old Breed is superb, I agree. Another great account, and well worth a read, is Robert Leckie’s Helmet For My Pillow, similarly used, of course, for The Pacific.

    My personal choice, however, remains Eugene Sledge. I could not put it down.

    I also keep meaning to get hold of Chuck Tatum’s Red Blood, Black Sand but have not got round to it yet and I am probably a bit “over booked” at the moment! :D
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2020
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  19. Tom OBrien

    Tom OBrien Senior Member

    Saw this recently and, of course, couldn't resist! A 56 Inf Div Field Ambulance veteran.

    Blood and Bandages cover.png

    Just flicked through so far, but looks interesting.

    Regards

    Tom
     
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  20. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Old Hickory Recon

    One thing that bothers me now in my middle age is that he lived not too far away from me. Easily could have been a day trip, with time to spare, for me to meet him. I wished I had taken the opportunity to at least correspond with him, or if he was willing, to talk to him directly.
     
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