Buy this book on-line SEVERN**, DAVID: : RICK AFIRE!LONDON.JOHN LANE,THE BODLEY HEAD,1942. ISBN No ISBN.
UK,slim 12mo HB,minus dw/dj,1st edn.['THIS BOOK IS PRODUCED IN COMPLETE CONFORMITY WITH THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARDS' advice/notification,and stated 'First published in 1942' to reverse of title page.An uncommon 1st edn - particularly of this - either with or without a dw/dj,for a book of its age,and given it's period of production,i.e. 1940-1947 - with wartime paper-rationing,and the poor quality of cheap paper stock generally used and survival rates of air-raids on domestic and commercial properties i.e publishers+ printers.Any dw/dj would have been of substandard quality and prone to subsequent disintegration and usually discarded.With war-time paper rationing and conservation of that and other materials,pulping was actively encouraged, so publishers with restricted and limited quantities for publishing,opted towards highly acidic and therefore cheaper paper, allowing for more books to be produced. Books made with this cheaper material tend to degrade faster,exhibiting several faults,blemishes,foxing/spotting etc.,and subsequently are uncommon and harder to find in a particularly fine condition.] VG.No owner inscrptn.Slightly and mildly grubbed and with minor blemishes to both of publisher's original orange cloth boards/covers,with a black ink printed silhouetted smoking hay-rick to front, slightly darkened and minimally bumped with reciprocally creased,spine/backstrip with black ink printed lettering,rear board/cover without decoration and a small water-stain along it's lower edge,but without any effect internally to concomitant area.Negligible shelf-wear, bumping,creasing to edges and corners - corner tips mildly knocked,no nicks,tears, splits or fraying present,bright,clean black+green farmhouse environs map illustrated endpapers to white background and both hinges solid and sound with no tears,splits or cracking.Top edges lightly toned,dust-soiled or might even be coloured,fore-edges lightly toned with very minimal foxing spots; contents bright,tight,clean - text body virtually foxing-free - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corners - appears unread, apart from my own collation.UK,slim 12mo HB,minus dw/dj,1st edn,5-235pp [paginated] includes contents list/table,23 chapters,6 full-page b/w silhouette illustrations and chapter tail-pieces by Joan Kiddell-Monroe interspersed throughout the text and the book,plus [unpaginated] half-title page, b/w vignetted title page - repeated from front cover illustration and to the rear 4pp publisher's catalogue.Pseudonymously writes as David Severn for his children's fiction books.See my book IDs' rja901520-rja901820 for various UK,1st edn or other examples from this series.
David Severn [b. 3/12/1918 - d. 11/2/2010] is a pseudonym for David Storr Unwin,British son of Sir Stanley Unwin the publisher.So as not to trade on the Unwin name he used the name Severn (his uncle Severn Storr went with Sir Stanley on a world tour (Unwin and Storr,1934).All in all,Severn wote thirty children's books, most for John Lane,The Bodley Head,and mainly school holiday adventures on a farm,or camping or travelling.Although written during WW2, the war isn't mentioned in the storie until after the war ends.The stories offered countryside peace at a time of war and danger, providing positive learning from adventures,including Romanies and a hermit artist,at a time of bombs,bullets,hunger and rationing in a countryside littered with the paraphenalia of war-time defence; tank traps,barbed wire and pill boxes.His first series [1942-6] featured 'Crusoe' Robinson who was befriended by youngsters in holiday adventures,many featuring a Romany group and included a Romany funeral pyre.The Warner family series followed [1947-52] featuring pheasants,ponies and country life.
This title is his first children's novel, the first of five of the 'Crusoe' stories. It is a tale of two evacuee children from London because their father was in hospital,to Whitehouse Farm (based on a farm in Essex,according to his biography) where they had adventures in the countryside with the twins Brian and Pam,with a pony called Nobby ('Pegasus') and a dog called William.Both series complimented with artwork from Joan Kiddell-Monroe.
Joan Kiddell-Monroe (1908-72) born Clacton-on-Sea.Studied at Willesden and Chelsea Schools of Art.Worked initially in an advertising studio and then turned freelance.In 1936,she married Webster Murray,illustrator for 'The Tatler' and 'The Sketch' and portrait painter.From 1944,she concentrated on book illustration.She travelled in Africa during the 1950's,and eventually settled in Mallorca.Joan Kiddell-Monroe was one of the outstanding professional illustrators of her generation,and her drawings combined a fluent,well-modulated line with a rhythmic and elegant decorative sense. She had a keen eye for detail,and this contributed to her ability to adapt her style in sympathy with the varied sources and subjects of her texts.Her versatility is clearly shown in the 'Oxford Myths and Legends' series - folk tales collected from many parts of the world.She was particularly fond of drawing animals,and often included them in her designs.She worked mainly in black and white,sometimes with one added colour,and sometimes with the full colour range.
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