{"product_id":"no-mans-land-sapper-herman-cyril-mcneile-1st-edition","title":"No Man's Land, 'Sapper' (Herman Cyril McNeile) — 1st Edition","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication\u003c\/strong\u003e: London, Hodder and Stoughton, 1917\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormatting\u003c\/strong\u003e: 8vo, pp. [vi], 328.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition Report\u003c\/strong\u003e: Near Fine. Benefiting immensely from a clear protective wrapper, the original maroon cloth boards remain remarkably bright and well-preserved, with sharp corners and an absence of the typical shelf-wear or sunning that plagues wartime bindings. The black lettering to both the spine and the front board remains bold and wholly unoxidised. The binding itself is entirely firm, square, and tight, with no lean or tenderness to the hinges. Internally, the text block exhibits the mild, uniform age-toning typical of the war-economy paper stock utilised during this period, but the pages remain completely clean, supple, and free from foxing. An early, exceptionally neat ink gift inscription to the preliminary half-title leaf reads \"Blanche from Betsy November 15 1918.\" A truly handsome and structurally brilliant survivor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCatalogue Note\u003c\/strong\u003e: Issued at the height of the First World War, this unillustrated first edition is notoriously difficult to source in such an excellent state of preservation. The war-economy production standards meant that copies were often printed on highly acidic paper and bound in cloth prone to heavy fading and fraying; consequently, most surviving examples present with cracked hinges and heavily bumped corners.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author, H. C. McNeile, was an active officer in the Royal Engineers when he penned this collection, writing under the pseudonym 'Sapper' (a moniker bestowed upon him by Lord Northcliffe of the \u003ci\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e to preserve military anonymity). The provenance of this specific copy features a standard contemporary gift inscription, though its date, November 15, 1918, exactly four days after the Armistice was signed, provides a poignant historical anchor for a book so steeped in the conflict.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePenned with the raw immediacy of a soldier actively serving in the trenches, \u003ci\u003eNo Man's Land\u003c\/i\u003e is a visceral collection of interconnected stories that plunge the reader directly into the grit, camaraderie, and terror of the Western Front. Divided into four parts, tracking the chaotic journey from civilian life to the harrowing realities of \"The Land\" itself, the narrative serves as both a gripping wartime thriller and a tribute to the resilience of the infantrymen. It offers an unfiltered, contemporary glimpse into the defining conflict of the early twentieth century, cementing Sapper's reputation as a masterful chronicler of action long before the creation of his iconic post-war hero, Bulldog Drummond.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54438875890003,"sku":"4832","price":100.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260723_230731.jpg?v=1785405133","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/no-mans-land-sapper-herman-cyril-mcneile-1st-edition","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}