{"product_id":"leader-of-the-few-basil-collier-1st-edition","title":"Leader of the Few, Basil Collier — 1st Edition","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication\u003c\/strong\u003e: London, Jarrolds, 1957\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormatting\u003c\/strong\u003e: 8vo, pp. 264.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition Report\u003c\/strong\u003e: Very Good. The publisher's original blue cloth binding remains firm, tight, and square, showing no significant shelf-wear. The page block exhibits moderate foxing and age-toning, primarily along the top and fore-edges, though internally the leaves remain predominantly clean and bright. The original dust jacket remains entirely intact but shows some light rubbing and minor crinkling to the extremities, most notably at the head of the spine and the top edge of the front panel. The rear panel, being predominantly white, displays some minor dust-soiling and faint spotting commensurate with its age. The jacket is now preserved in a protective, removable clear sleeve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCatalogue Note\u003c\/strong\u003e: This is a true First Edition, with \"First published 1957\" correctly stated on the copyright page.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe volume is illustrated with a striking frontispiece portrait of Lord Dowding, alongside several further black-and-white plates throughout the text. The book bears no previous ownership inscriptions, bookplates, or noteworthy provenance marks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is becoming increasingly uncommon to find copies that retain their original dust jackets in such well-preserved, highly collectable condition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eLeader of the Few\u003c\/i\u003e stands as the definitive, authorised biography of Air Chief Marshal the Lord Dowding, the brilliant yet often controversial architect behind Britain’s aerial defence strategy during the Second World War. Basil Collier offers a compelling, meticulously researched account of Dowding's life and military career, focusing deeply on his pivotal leadership of RAF Fighter Command. It is an essential historical portrait of the man who orchestrated the victory of 'The Few' and fundamentally shifted the course of the Battle of Britain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54967747739987,"sku":"5487","price":78.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260911_200508.jpg?v=1789635986","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/leader-of-the-few-basil-collier-1st-edition","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}