{"product_id":"the-mad-major-major-christopher-draper-d-s-c-1st-edition","title":"The Mad Major, Major Christopher Draper, D.S.C. — 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 Letchworth, Air Review Limited, 1962\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. 231.\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 book is tightly bound in the publisher's original blue cloth, which remains remarkably bright with sharp corners and unoxidised gilt lettering to the spine, indicating minimal shelf-wear. The text block is square and firm; however, the top and fore-edges exhibit moderate foxing, a common occurrence for the paper stock of this period, which occasionally bleeds slightly into the extreme margins of the preliminary pages. The original dust jacket is present and largely well-preserved, though it displays minor rubbing and light edge-wear at the extremities, alongside mild toning and scattered spotting particularly visible on the white rear panel and spine. Internally, the pages are otherwise clean and unmarked, presenting a solid, highly collectable copy.\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. This gripping autobiography details the life and exploits of a prominent World War I flying ace and controversial aviation pioneer. The text is accompanied by black-and-white photographic plates, including a frontispiece portrait of the author in uniform.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003eCrucially, this copy boasts the author's signature, \"C. Draper,\" boldly executed in his customary green ink on the half-title page. Loosely inserted is an original newspaper clipping from the \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"192\"\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e, dated 2nd March 1964, which reports on the revocation of Draper's pilot's licence at the age of 72, a fitting and poignant piece of ephemera for \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"353\"\u003eThe Mad Major\u003c\/i\u003e. While unsigned examples of this title appear with moderate frequency, signed copies remain genuinely scarce on the open market and are highly prized by collectors of aviation history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003e\u003ci data-path-to-node=\"7\" data-index-in-node=\"7\"\u003eThe Mad Major\u003c\/i\u003e is the thrilling autobiography of Major Christopher Draper, D.S.C., an English airman, actor, and World War I flying ace whose life was defined by relentless adventure and defiance of authority. From his early encounters with aviation pioneers to his daring combat missions and infamous post-war stunts, most notably flying beneath 15 London bridges in 1953, Draper's story captures the golden age of flight. Published to coincide with his seventieth birthday, this compelling memoir offers a firsthand account of a fearless pilot who flatly refused to be grounded.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54385774854483,"sku":"4741","price":85.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260717_194229.jpg?v=1784812953","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/the-mad-major-major-christopher-draper-d-s-c-1st-edition","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}