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Post D. Some Experiences of an Air Raid Warden. by WORLD WAR II; BLITZ - STRACHEY, John - 1941

by WORLD WAR II; BLITZ - STRACHEY, John

Post D. Some Experiences of an Air Raid Warden. by WORLD WAR II; BLITZ - STRACHEY, John - 1941

Post D. Some Experiences of an Air Raid Warden.

by WORLD WAR II; BLITZ - STRACHEY, John

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first
London: Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1941. First edition, fourth impression. First published in March the same year. A memoir of the socialist theorist and politician John Strachey's experiences as a London air-raid warden; "During the war he served in a succession of posts - air raid warden, public relations officer, radio commentator, and Royal Air Force wing commander. With the war's end, Strachey was returned to Parliament in the June 1945 elections and was appointed under-secretary for air in the new Labour government" (Britannica). With Victor Gollancz and Harold Laski Strachey was one of the founders of the Left Book Club. His "The Theory and Practice of Socialism (1936) was the most influential book ever produced by the club, and his pamphlet Why You Should Be a Socialist (1938) sold more than 250,000 copies within two months of its publication. As a speaker at numerous Left Book Club meetings, regular writer for its monthly bulletin, Left News, and through his next major book, What Are We to Do? (1938), Strachey was playing an important role in drawing a generation towards the left in general, and Communist Party priorities in particular" (ODNB).
Provenance: from the publisher's archive of Victor Gollancz (1893-1967), one of the revolutionary figures of 20th-century publishing. Everything about Gollancz was distinctive, from his business practices - he flouted convention, backed newcomers extravagantly, and held unique sway over the Book Society choices - to the appearance of his books. The famous yellow jackets, a collaborative design between Gollancz himself and the typographer Stanley Morison, bristle with blurbs, recommendations, and reviews in black and magenta.
Prior to its acquisition by Peter Harrington, the archive was shelved together from first publication, though occasionally moved from warehouse to warehouse over the decades. The copies were retained by Gollancz as "archive" or "file" copies and most are stamped in ink with rubber stamps, usually on the front panel of the dust jacket, the front free endpaper, and the title page.
Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine lettered in blue. With dust jacket. An excellent copy in the jacket with sunned spine.
  • Seller Peter Harrington GB (GB)
  • Book Condition Used
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Publisher London: Victor Gollancz Ltd,
  • Date Published 1941