{"product_id":"captain-cat-robert-holles-1st-edition","title":"Captain Cat, Robert Holles — 1st Edition","description":"\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"2\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003ePublication:\u003c\/b\u003e London, Michael Joseph, 1960\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"3\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eFormatting:\u003c\/b\u003e 8vo, pp. 221.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"4\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"4\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eCondition Report:\u003c\/b\u003e Very Good. The volume is securely bound in the publisher's original blue cloth, featuring sharp corners and bright, unoxidised gilt lettering to the spine, with only minimal bumping to the head and tail extremities. The text block is tight and firm; internally, the pages remain notably crisp and clean, entirely free of foxing or internal spotting, presenting only the slightest trace of uniform dust-toning to the top edge typical with the paper stock of this era. A neat, contemporary ownership signature in pencil, dated 'May 14th 1960', is present on the front free endpaper. The original, unclipped dust jacket (priced 15s net) is excellently preserved. It retains its vibrant colouring and structural integrity without any notable fading, exhibiting only very light rubbing to the corners, a few minuscule nicks at the spine ends, and faint handling marks to the rear panel, ultimately serving as a highly presentable example of this edition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"5\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"5\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eCatalogue Note:\u003c\/b\u003e First edition, first printing. The book is presented in its original publisher's blue cloth and retains the striking pictorial dust jacket designed by Robert Bellamy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003eA contemporary ownership inscription in pencil to the front free endpaper, dated 14th May 1960, the exact year of publication, provides a factual, period-accurate trace of provenance. Holles’s novel, deeply informed by his own early enlistment in the British Army's boy service, offers a gritty, compelling portrayal of military training, establishing it as a well-regarded piece of mid-twentieth-century military fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003eWhile not exceedingly rare as a title, locating a true first edition complete with a bright, well-preserved, and unclipped dust jacket has become increasingly uncommon on the open market, making this an appealing copy for collectors of post-war British literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"8\"\u003eIn 1941, at the age of fourteen, Robert Holles enlisted in the British Army on boy service out of a simple desire to wear a uniform. \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"8\" data-index-in-node=\"140\"\u003eCaptain Cat\u003c\/i\u003e, his acclaimed second novel, draws heavily on these formative experiences. It is a powerful and chillingly realistic portrayal of military training and its profound influence on impressionable minds. Centred around the story of young Harry Bell, the narrative delves into the squalid, brutal, and occasionally humorous realities of a boys' training unit, offering a compelling and dramatic critique of systemic conformity and the chaotic transition from adolescence to adulthood.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54320942022995,"sku":"4554","price":15.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260708_113024.jpg?v=1784181137","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/captain-cat-robert-holles-1st-edition","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}