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de la BILLIERE, GENERAL SIR PETER: : SUPREME COURAGE: Heroic Stories from 150 Years of THE VICTORIA CROSS

LONDON.LITTLE,BROWN,2004.

ISBN 0316725919.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.FINE/FINE.No owner inscrptn and no price-clip to dw/dj. Bright, crisp,clean,matt,colour image+photographic illustrated front panel of dw/dj with brown+gilt lettering,rear panel with colour painting detail (The Battle of Isandhlwana by Charles Edwin Fripp); with negligible shelf-wear or creasing to edges and corners - no nicks or tears present.Top+fore-edges bright and clean; contents bright,tight,clean,solid and sound - pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corners,appears unread - apart from my own collation.Bright,crisp,clean,sharp-cornered, publisher's original plain maroon cloth boards with bright,crisp,blocked gilt letters to spine/ backstrip,a black headband and immaculate plain maroon endpapers.UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,2- 387pp[paginated] includes 14 chapters,16pp contemporary monochrome photographs+illustration reproductions and colour photographs in 2 blocks of 8pp apiece,between pp120/21 and pp264/65 respectively,a postscript,notes,a glossary of Gallantry Medals awarded for Military Action,a bibliography,an index; plus [unpaginated] half-title+title pages,contents list/table with blank verso,acknowledgements,and 4pp blanks at the rear of the book. Since the 1850s the Victoria Cross has been the highest award for gallantry in the British armed forces.It bears the simple legend 'For Valour', but behind it lies legends of a different kind: humbling tales of almost unimaginable bravery. 'Supreme Courage.' tells some of those stories,bringing the history of the medal alive with blow-by- blow accounts of courage in action.Recreating battle-scenes from across the globe,from the Crimean War to the Second World War,peppering his narrative with letters and first-hand reports,Sir Peter de la Billiere looks deep into the hearts and minds of a number of exceedingly brave men.Soldiers like Captain Noel Chavasse,the doctor who spent three years in the trenches during the First World War, rescuing and treating the wounded under relentless enemy attack - a man who exemplified the astounding modesty and dedication to duty of the VC holder.Chavasse died at Passchendale in 1917,and in so doing became one of only three men to receive the VC twice.The award was made - tragically,as for so many VC winners - posthumously. With accounts of Australians,New Zealanders, Canadians,Gurkhas and Indians,and backed by his own experience of war in many theatres,the author does more than accompany the men into battle.He reveals their backgrounds and characters,and shows how high the price of fame can be.Some winners have been unable to handle the renown that the award brought them,several have committed suicide,and others have ended their lives in paupers' graves neglected by the nation they served. Thrilling and often intensely moving,'Supreme Courage.' is an important addition to the literature of war,and a magnificent monument to heroism. Want more Victoria Cross-related titles? Please search my SIGNED,NAVAL/MILITARY,GENERAL and BIOGRAPHY catalogues - using keywords: Victoria Cross_VC. Please contact seller,because of the weight/ value of this item for correct,insured shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! ** N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order's receipt and before the order's despatch,especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.
Not SIGNED.

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