G. B. A Story of the Great War
New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1929. F. H. Horvath (dust jacket illustration). First American Edition. Hardcover in Dust Jacket. 8vo. Pp. [1-2], 3-306. Preface by "H. E." Illustrated with a map of a military camp. Decorated endpapers. Bound in yellow cloth with black and red lettering and the profile of a German helmet on the front board, red lettering on spine. Spine a bit worn. Former owner name and address in pencil on half title. Bookseller tag on rear pastedown (Newbegins, San Francisco). In the color illustrated dust jacket that shows edge-wear, including a one-inch perforation on the fold between the front panel and front flap. Very Good- / Very Good. Item #5754 The dust jacket illustration by F. H. Horvath is a triumph of form, hinting at duplicity by depicting a British officer casting the shadow of a German soldier. Dust jacket now enclosed in a removable, clear archival sleeve.
First American edition, published the same year as the English edition (Geoffrey Bles). During WWI Morris initially served in the Norfolk Regiment as an infantryman; by the end of the war he commanded the Cycle Battalion of the XIII Army Corps. This novel was lauded for his ability to transcribe his experiences to print, conveying the liveliness and desperation of battle. Eric Ambler, in Epitaph for a Spy (1952), named this as one of the best spy stories.
Price: $150.00