An Innocent Grows Up.

First edition. Octavo. pp [vi], 181. Double-page lithograph pictorial titles. Memoirs which the blurb compares with Wells's Kipps.Loosely inserted are two very interesting Autograph Letters Signed by John Piper, one on his Fawley Bottom headed writing paper, dated Nov 9 1940, and the other on that of Pentre, Bethesda, Bangor, dated Jan. 17 1946. The recipient, who is addressed as William and Wm., respectively, is William Scudamore Mitchell who worked with Piper on the Shell Guides series and was himself the author of the one on East Sussex. During the Second World War he was captured by the Japanese and worked on the Burma Railway, an experience he later wrote about and published. The first letter (2 pages, about 180 words) begins, 'John [Betjeman?] brought your letter with him this week which we found v enjoyable, if much of the life it described sounded otherwise. I send a photo [not present here], of water-colour of Hamsey Ch[urch], in case it amuses you. "Plain Oak Seats: Art, but decent" I see I have noted in my sketchbook - but "I took the liberty of expunging them from the drawing" as Sidney Pitcher F.R.P.S. of Gloucester once said to me about the fir-trees at the Rollright Stones - introducing a singularly bare-looking photo. '. He then recounts how he visited Hamsey at the beginning of the war and saying that William is doing 'invaluable work on our hatchment heritage' and hoping Sir Harry and Sir Charles will remember him when they get into parliament, 'as advisors on Historical Monument Preservation to the New Era Government'. The other letter (3 pages, about 300 words) begins, 'It was an enormous pleasure - series of pleasures - to see you posted in the Times alive and well, as we did, then to hear you were home from John, now to hear from you in person. Your letter is fascinating and it will be even more fascinating when we meet again. ', and continues, 'For our own part we have had fun and hell during the war but nearly all fun, and we have taken the first opportunity of escaping from our beam ends at Fawley Bottom to come to the frozen mountains of Cambria where we have taken this house (no modern conveniences whatever: hip bath in front of kitchen fire, the size of an occasional table) in order - ostensibly - for me to paint frozen mountains. It is far too cold of course to do that. '.Letters: folded; the earlier of the two is creased and nicked at one edge; very good. Book: near fine in near-fine dustwrapper which repeats the title-page illustration. The dustwrapper has a later price sticker on the front flap.…