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Military and Naval – pre 20th Century

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  • First Class Polo – Tactics & Match Play – Brigadier-General R. L. Ricketts.

    First Class Polo – Tactics & Match Play – Brigadier-General R. L. Ricketts.

    For those that have always wanted to understand polo beyond the general idea of horses, a mallet and a bamboo ball (well plastic now) this is the book. Get ahead become an expert and make the right calls at these posh events.

    A fine copy of a super scarce book outlining the secrets of good polo play. Second edition, effectively self-published through Gale & Polden of Aldershot [British Military town] and London et, 1938.

    Octavo, 48 pages and IX full pages plates of tactics guaranteed to win the play.

    Ricketts played for the Alwar team in India circa 1900 and they won trophy after trophy – see the image of the frontispiece. They won the Indian Polo association Championship for several years and the Delhi Durbar without a single defeat scoring 117 goals against only 15.

    Ricketts describes the “merciless hitting of the ordinary easy ball by the Maharajah, and the advantages of the golf drive trajectory which he imparted to it etc”.

    Rickett’s motivation for the book is the fact that the Americans had more recently dominated the sport and to win back the advantage a quicker harder form of polo must be played. Bit like Bazball if you get that ..

    Ricketts on Polo everything you need to know to beat the Yankees

    $90.00

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  • The Downfall of Prempeh [The West African Ashanti Expedition] -Baden-Powell 1896

    The Downfall of Prempeh [The West African Ashanti Expedition] -Baden-Powell 1896

    A very special book by the Major Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell (later Lord Lieutenant General) founder of the Boy Scouts (the first Chief Scout).

    First edition published by Methuen, London in 1896. Octavo, 199 pages, nicely illustrated and with a map. Red cloth covered boards, gilt titles to spine, a little spine fading, otherwise a clean and impressive copy.

    The capital of Ashanti land , Kumassi, sits 75 miles inland from Cape Coast Castle on the West African Gold Coast – now Ghana.

    This is about a military expedition to effectively oust the leader Prempeh because he was totally mad and made his subjects follow his passion which was basically sacrificing people, lots of them, all of the time. They had special places for these rituals and even a massive cauldron style object over which heads were severed. He had a passion for killing virgins sometimes hundreds at a time … not nice man. A think we can agree this was one Colonial intervention that was justified.

    Anyway, Baden-Powell writes so well and we learn a lot about the preparations for the forces sent in, how they were organised and the difficulties and calamities they came across. The ending was rather strange but we will leave that for the reader.

    Ashanti of the Gold Coast – Baden-Powell Expedition

    $180.00

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  • Malory’s – Chronicles of King Arthur – 3 Volumes

    Malory’s – Chronicles of King Arthur – 3 Volumes

    Published by the Folio Society in 1982. Three volumes in original slipcase. Octavo, 292,348 and 262 pages. Blue cloth covered bindings decorated in red and gold. A super looking production.

    Introductions and explanations by experts Sue Bradbury and Kevin Crossley-Holand and nice lino-cuts by Edward Bawden.

    The Chronicles comprise … The Tale of King Arthur; Sir Tristam de Lyonesse and The Morte D’Arthur.

    The legendary tales were first put down in one place by George of Monmouth in the early thirteen century. In the fifteenth century Sir Thomas Malory produced the definitive work completed in 1470, This was at the time Caxton really got going with his printing press so Malory’s work was destined to be promoted and preserved. Naturally, the language and expression of Malory’s writing reflects the period and “modern” writers have edited the text to be readable nowadays.

    What would King Arthur think of a boxed set?

    $140.00

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  • Tasmania’s A.I.F. Lighthorsemen – Peter J. Pickering

    Tasmania’s A.I.F. Lighthorsemen – Peter J. Pickering

    Self published in 2006 the full history of C Squadron, 3rd Light Horse Regiment – exclusively Tasmanian in WWI.

    Large format, soft cover, perfect bound. 142 pages, plus appendices. Magnificently illustrated, the original images, superb coloured charts of campaigns bring the whole story to a new level.

    Largely based on the authorised account of Sir George John Bell DSO CMG. The regiment went to Gallipoli and then back to Egypt and withing days thrown action in the western deserts and to the east of Suez. Among the soldier was a young wool classer Hudson Fysh who near the end of the campaign would take his first flying lessons. He would go on to fly London to Australia and later found QANTAS at Longreach in Queensland.

    Edition limited to 250 copies of which this is signed and numbered 219 by the author. Also signed by the then Governor of Tasmania William Cox.

    Scarce and very readable account – Tasmanian Heroes

    $150.00

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  • A Complete Treatise of Mines Etc – Henry Manningham – First Edition 1756

    An extremely rare works from a period when mining expertise was as much a military endeavour as for the extraction of resources.

    Lengthy title continues … extracted from the Memoires d’Artilliere. To which is prefixed, by way of Introduction, Professor Belidor’s Dissertation on the Force and Physical Effects of Gunpowder. Illustrated by a Variety of Copper Plates.

    A first edition of this work translated and compiled by mining engineer Henry Manningham. The original French by P Surirey de Saint Remy (1660-1716). Benard Forest de Belidor (1698-1761) was a hydraulics and ballistics expert. Born into a military family he later became Professor of Artillery at Aisne. He became an early expert on the calculus and its use in solving technical problems.

    Published by Millar, the Strand, London 1756. Octavo, xxix,168 pages with 21 folding copper engraved plates, elaborate engraved vignette on Dedication. Ex John Crerar Library with the odd stamp, later half leather binding somewhat worn, top edge gilt. Lightly toned, still a very worthy copy of a very scarce item.

    Early Mining Explained and the Use of Gunpowder Carefully Explained.

    $420.00

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  • The Battle of Lake Champlain (Plattsburgh), and The Battle of Fort McHenry (Baltimore) – The Boston Messenger – 7th October 1814

    The Battle of Lake Champlain (Plattsburgh), and The Battle of Fort McHenry (Baltimore) – The Boston Messenger – 7th October 1814

    An original four page broadsheet … the Boston Messenger published on the 7th October 1812 at the culmination of the War of 1812 between The USA and Britain and its allies.

    Over 150 column inches (half the paper) devoted to reports, commentary and tributes, from both sides, regarding these important battles.

    The Battle of Lake Champlain (Also known as the Battle of Plattsburgh) ended the invasion of the northern states of the USA during the War of 1812. The British army under General Prevost and the Royal Navy under Downie converged on the lakeside town of Plattsburgh which was defended by New York and Vermont militia and detachments of regular troops under General Macomb and ships under Macdonough. The British attacked after dawn on the 11th September 1814 but were defeated after a hard fight in which Downie was killed. Prevost retreated to Canada.

    The Battle of Fort McHenry (Also known as the Battle of Baltimore, Maryland) inspired Francis Scott Key to write the “Star Spangled Banner” as he was watching the battle from a British ship! This battle the turning point when US forces warded off a British invasion of the sea port of Baltimore. The British had landed 5,000 troops who first found resistance at the Battle of North Point, some five miles from the city. General Sticker commanding a group of Maryland militia blunted the British attack killing General Ross in command. They were halted. Meanwhile at Fort McHenry 1,000 American soldiers awaited the British bombardment. They had protected the harbour by sinking a line of merchant ships. The attack began on 13th September 1814 using mortars and rockets. The pounding was relentless although inaccurate and little damage was sustained. British Admiral Cochrane decided on a commando style assault in an attempt to distract the American troops. However, it failed and from there the British gave up any hope of success and retreated on 14th September 1814.

    Whilst all this was happening peace negotiations were underway in Europe, also noted in this edition. A Treaty was soon signed to end the war on the basis that prior territories were retained.

    Significant Reports the War of 1812

    $90.00

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