For This Alone and Other Poems

Publication: Oxford, Basil Blackwell, 1944 Formatting: 4to, pp. [20], with two tipped-in colour lithograph plates. Condition Report: Very Good. The binding remains remarkably tight and square, lacking any significant shelf-wear or bumping to the extremities. The pages are bright and completely free of the heavy oxidation or toning often seen in wartime paper, though some very faint, scattered foxing is present to the preliminary leaves and endpapers. The tipped-in colour plates remain vibrant, securely adhered, and uncreased. The fragile dust jacket is notably well-preserved, retaining its original rich hues with only minor rubbing, faint surface wear, and fractional nicks to the spine ends and corners. Catalogue Note: First trade edition (and first facsimile edition) of this remarkable wartime production, originally created in a German Prisoner-of-War camp in 1943. The work is beautifully illustrated by fellow P.O.W. Sergeant J. W. Lambert, whose two striking colour lithograph plates, depicting a downed airman and a bomber crew in action, and calligraphic transcription elevate the poignant verse. This copy bears a presentation inscription to the front free endpaper, initialled "R.P.L.M.", indicating it was inscribed by the author. A secondary previous ownership signature is also present on the same page. Copies of this edition possessing the fragile original dust jacket are uncommon on the open market, and inscribed examples are exceptionally scarce. Composed behind enemy lines, For This Alone and Other Poems is a profound testament to the resilience of the human spirit. After leaving his journalism career to join the R.A.F., Sergeant R. P. L. Mogg was shot down over Germany and taken prisoner early in the war. During his captivity, he discovered a powerful poetic voice, capturing both the harrowing reality of aerial combat and the quiet reflections of life as a prisoner of war. Transcribed and illustrated by his fellow captive, Sergeant J. W. Lambert, this volume preserves the raw emotion and striking artistry born from the confines of a P.O.W. camp, offering readers a unique and deeply moving historical document. …