James Bond First Editions

Kenya Diary 1899-1926.

MEINERTZHAGEN, Colonel Richard (1878-1967).

London: Oliver and Boyd, 1957. [Travel/Military] FIRST EDITION, with publisher's stamp to endpaper likely indicating a file copy or presentation/complimentary copy. Royal Octavo (23 x 16cm), pp.viii; 347; [1], blank. With black and white plates and maps throughout. Publisher's brown cloth in pictorial dust-wrapper priced 30/-. This copy with the coloured top stain incorrectly applied to bottom edge, possibly the reason why it was stamped by the publisher. Contents and edges clean,some toning, jacket moderately used with some small chips and tears, some tape strengthening to reverse side. Very good. Colonel Richard Henry Meinertzhagen, CBE, DSO (1878-1967). Soldier, intelligence officer and ornithologist. Here he describes his activities as chief of British Military Intelligence for the East African campaign at Nairobi, Kenya. He also saw action in France, Palestine and Sinai. His diaries contain harsh assessments of senior officers, of the role played by the Royal Navy and of the quality of the Indian units dispatched to German East Africa. He also describes the skirmish at Tanga as "possibly the most disgraceful defeat a British Army has ever suffered". He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in February 1916 and his writing was greatly admired by the thriller writer Ian Fleming. From the comprehensive bibliographical archive assembled by Jon Gilbert. His encyclopaedic guide to the works of Ian Fleming (2012) won the 16th Breslauer Prize for bibliography. Item #71092

Gilbert, p.631-2.

Price: £175.00