Long time effort

**CINDERS** · 10-05-2023 12:13 AM

Years ago (20+) I lucked on to a full set of the CEW Bean series (12 Vols) at a little known second hand shop calling in on a whim.
I had been trying to get a full set at a good price and these were only on her shelf for 3 days and were in very very good condition being 50 plus years old in some cases.
We really could not afford them but got them they now sit in pride of place as a display set, I eventually over the years built up a bitsa set for reading in average condition.

So the next journey was to get the medical series a 3 volume set and this is one of the hardest journey's I have been on to many hours on the web and second hand shops.
These do not come up very often and I mean that very scarce indeed but luck was with me in the form of another whim to visit a book shop I sometimes go to.
He noted I always go to the military section when I call in I explained to him my passion and am focusing my collection now on AIF WWI 1st Ed's H/C's.

He said I have just received a full Bean series and the Medical editions, wow my ears pricked up do I want the set, I explained I already had 2 Bean sets but no medical ones.
But I would be interested in taking the medical series so asked him what he wanted for them he gave a figure in the $000's for the 2 vols and well here they are.
I'll cool off for a bit then start tracking a similar condition vol III which I hope wont take 20+ years then one of the greatest works on the AIF WWI will be complete.

Some history on the Bean series ~ Charles W Bean was a war correspondent for the AIF and after the war set about documenting everything the AIF did.
This he started in 1920 and finally finished the first 6 volumes in 1942 yep 22 years documenting our WWI fighting history.
The other 6 volumes were done by various other authors along the same vein making up air, naval, Australia icon

, pictorial etc.
The colour of the volumes maroon was chosen by Bean to represent dried blood apparently.

So in a matter of 2 weeks I have crossed off two long term hunts for items, the original AIF poster and 3/4 of the medical series in WWI very happy camper.

Pic # 1 my display set of AIF WWI history
Pic # 2 the medical vol's I & II.

Cheers.

**Highly Recommended** · 10-05-2023 12:13 AM

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**Bob Womack** · 10-05-2023 06:42 AM

Congrats. I love it when long-time hunts are finally fulfilled!

Bob

**browningautorifle** · 10-05-2023 09:10 AM

Nice catch, books are hard to find and often expensive. Sometimes you have to just stand tall and pay up. Well done...

**Sapper740** · 10-05-2023 09:56 AM

Well done CINDERS! The extreme contentment you feel at finding those books comes across loud and clear. Your bookcase looks a lot like mine although mine has a more Canadian icon

, American, and Israeli area of interest although I do have Winnie's 'The World Crisis' series and a Janes book. I've recently picked up copies of 'The Ross Rifle Story', 'Out of the Clouds' and 'Defending the Dominion'.

**CINDERS** · 10-05-2023 10:52 AM

Got some pics for you of a couple of the shelves relating to WWI where I can 1st Ed's H/C's mainly AIF. (Use the magnify tool to get a better close up)

Pic #1 Shows the Winston & Lloyd George Bio's 1939 printing by Odhams think I paid $50/Aud for each set, Ian Hamilton's March was not a cheapie, Gallipoli to Baghdad was I think $90/Aud, How Jerusalem was won, then Flanders finishing with Ludendorff's memoirs.
Just on the Rt next to an old Tsuba is a book by Barbara Tuchman titled August 1914 its a very good read, Lyn MacDonald is another good writer I have all her books her book The Somme took her 10 years to complete its a very good read.

# 2 Campaigning with the fighting 9th again a costly one (have 2), With the Twenty Second @$450/Aud market value, Saving the coastal ports, Fremantle to France icon

By Gill its a very limited run mine is brand new & never opened/read so $250/Usd.

# 3 These are mainly all AIF and represent a very costly endeavour 1st Ed's the one next to the slr pull though on the Rt The Whale Oil Guards very expensive, along with all those titles, even the poor condition Story of the Twelfth is big money, a very rare one is Letters of an Australian icon

Army Sister.

You can have a go at checking some of the titles on ABE which is who I use, I did price 2 full AIF Medical 3 Vol sets on ABE one was $1600/USD the other was $3,125/USD, my 2 Vols set me back a miserly $300/Aud.

Anyway thought I'd share a small portion of my WWI titles as its been a long road as you all know when your chasing something you desire.
Thanks for the kind comments it is appreciated writing about my brother earlier today has sorta kicked me about a bit.
Cheers
CINDERS