About this Item
The First UK printing published by Lovat Dickson Limited, London : 1937. 8vo., pale yellow cloth lettered in blue to upper cover and spine; with decorative device in rectangular border to upper cover; upper edge top-stain blue; together in the unclipped pictorial wrapper featuring the same stylised design of two figures fighting, to both the upper panel and spine; also replicated as a title vignette; The BOOK is in near Fine condition. Some slight spotting to the boards, and light creasing to the lower page corners, presumable a production issue; the WRAPPER is in Very Good++ condition. It would be in near fine condition except that the front panel has become neatly detached at the spine. Some light losses to the spine and corners ; spine and folds are lightly toned. The wrapper comes together well and presents as an excellent example in the removable Brodart archival cover. A profound and witty polemical work, in which Lewis criticises the foreign policy of Stanley Baldwin and Anthony Eden, and argues that the only beneficiaries of the looming war will be the Soviet Union. Urging the government to consider the inevitable effects of their decisions, he argues for a re-examination of principles in light of the 'castor oil' being administered to European politics by fascism : ' castor oil' being for Lewis a metaphor for political 'truth' (Lafferty). Lewis had served as a second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery during WWI, and after returning to the UK his attentions increasingly turned from art and works of fiction to political tracts. Influenced strongly by his experiences, the present title represents one of five anti-war books which he published during the 1930s, beginning with 'Hitler' in 1931, a hugely controversial and polarising text which appeared to present the dictator as a "man of peace". In 'Count Your Dead', he further drew criticism when he excused the actions of General Franco in the Spanish Civil War as necessary to resist communism. Later he amended his views significantly and published the satirical 'The Jews, Are they Human?' in a response to anti-Semitic views. 'The Hitler Cult' later cemented his disdain for the German leader. As he wrote in 'Blasting and Bombardiering', published in the same year as this present title, "'There is for me no good war and bad war. There is only bad war." Lewis later wrote in his autobiography that he hoped "this group of books against war can be written off as futile performances - ill-judged, redundant, harmful of course to me personally, and of no value to anybody else". Unfortunately, he was wrong, and after the war which followed, this book remained one of his most sought-after and well-read titles within his body of works. Very scarce with the wrapper in such collectible condition. More images available on request. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact.
Seller Inventory # ABE-1754569745664
Contact seller
Report this item
