{"product_id":"the-pitcher-and-the-well-edited-by-squadron-leader-j-d-mcdonald-1st-uk-ed","title":"The Pitcher and the Well, Edited by Squadron Leader J. D. McDonald — 1st UK Ed","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublication:\u003c\/b\u003e London, Oldbourne Book Co. Ltd., 1961\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormatting:\u003c\/b\u003e 8vo, pp. 224.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Report:\u003c\/b\u003e Very Good. Bound in the publisher's original dark blue cloth, the boards remain clean and sharp with bright, unoxidised gilt titling to the spine. The binding is firm and square, presenting a tight text block, though the page edges display moderate foxing and age-toning typical of the era's paper stock. Internally, the pages are crisp and unmarked, free from major blemishes or previous ownership inscriptions. The dust jacket retains its striking geometric design without severe fading. It exhibits light edge-wear, minor rubbing to the extremities, and a very short closed nick to the head of the spine, along with clipped corners to the front flap. Overall, it stands as a highly presentable and tightly bound copy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCatalogue Note:\u003c\/b\u003e This is the First UK Edition, issued in 1961 by Oldbourne following the original New Zealand publication by Paul's Book Arcade earlier that same year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe work stands as a poignant and unfiltered piece of World War II history. Copies of this true first UK printing, particularly those that retain their original dust jackets in a respectable, intact state, have become increasingly uncommon on the open market, appealing strongly to collectors of aviation history and primary-source military narratives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDictated from a hospital bed in a German prisoner-of-war camp, \u003ci\u003eThe Pitcher and the Well\u003c\/i\u003e is the deeply moving, anonymous memoir of a fatally burned New Zealand bomber navigator. Unflinchingly honest, the narrative strips away the glamorised veneer of aerial combat to reveal the grim, sardonic, and courageous reality experienced by bomber crews. Compiled from his final letters and papers by Squadron Leader J. D. McDonald, it serves as a haunting testament to the psychological toll of war and the enduring human spirit in the face of inevitable mortality.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54618365657427,"sku":"5121","price":21.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260811_130159.jpg?v=1787039753","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/the-pitcher-and-the-well-edited-by-squadron-leader-j-d-mcdonald-1st-uk-ed","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}