Boot Sale, Charity and Secondhand book Shop Bargain, thus far.

Discussion in 'Books, Films, TV, Radio' started by kingarthur, Sep 10, 2010.

  1. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    Only one good charity shop in my area , wish there were more. :)
     
  2. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    From a small second hand bookshop in Ballbofey (Dopnegal) for the huge sum of 5 Euros. :)
    "Mosquito" By C.Martin and Michael J. F. Bowyer. (Faber 1971) price then was £2.60.
     
  3. Oldman

    Oldman Very Senior Member

    Not sure about other members areas but one or two round my way are selling books for young peoples charities and all you give is a donation, bought a couple of novels and a copy of Take these Men about desert warfare and Green Beach by Leasor

    Now first stop is the book self at the front of the store.
     
  4. gunbunnyB/3/75FA

    gunbunnyB/3/75FA Senior Member

    the only 1 of the books on that list that i have heard of is the c. Ryan " A bridge too far" and i do have that 1. not a 1st pressing but a 2nd pressing . and no it ant for sale.
     
  5. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Was quite pleased to find Horrocks's biog in one of those Tesco charity heaps.
    IMG_20170920_140951757.jpg

    Imagine how appalled I was on getting home to find someone had scribbled in it.
    IMG_20170920_142655597.jpg
     
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  6. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    It's a good read, too. There was an expanded second edition, but it adds nothing to the war years. I have Huw Weldon's dedicated copy from Horrocks (BBC presenter) with a nice inscription from Horrocks as well as an accompanying letter (He was Black Rod at the time).

    20170920_230021.jpg
     
  7. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    I'm starting to think these 50s/60s biogs and light memoirs are the best things to recommend when someone asks for 'starting out' WW2 reads.
     
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  8. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I'm with you on that.

    One I've been on the lookout for is Always To-Morrow by John F. Leeming. He was one of the chaps who was held as a POW in Italy along with (IIRC) Generals Neame, O'Connor, Carton de Wiart and Gambier-Perry as well as the ill-fated Brigadier Hargest (quite a haul). Apparently it's almost slapstick in the telling and full of fun and games at the Italians' expense. The only part I've actually read is the extract below about how when his plane crashed he and (I think) Air-Marshall Boyd had to start hurriedly disposing of cash--which was their cargo!

    The Most Hilarious Escape Story of the War
    "If any inquisitive child ever asks me, 'What did you do in the last Great War?' I shall repress my natural inclination to retort, 'It is quite time you were in bed,' and instead reply with simple dignity, 'I threw two hundred and fifty thousand pounds into the sea.' I fancy that even the most exacting infant should realize that a man who had flung a quarter of a million pounds into the ocean could not have been altogether idle."
     
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2017
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  9. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I've still not acquired a copy, but I've discovered another fact that adds to its appeal. Although a good number of his fellow inmates escaped, Leeming--the author--was repatriated after convincingly feigning insanity!
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2018
  10. Markyboy

    Markyboy Member

    There's a paperback copy for £4 on Amazon? Hardback on Abebooks for under £7. I think i'll pick up a copy myself as I've read the Hargest and de Wiart books and enjoyed both of those.
     
  11. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Yes, was tempted with a cheap paperback to read, but was looking out for a first edition in a dust jacket for the shelf.
     
  12. Markyboy

    Markyboy Member

    Bit of a late follow up to this, but I found a nice copy of Leeming's book in a junk shop over Xmas for £2. Very lighthearted read that I thoroughly enjoyed. One slight question.......... He states that Miles was murdered by German agents on the Spanish border following his escape. Other sources I can find online state he committed suicide. I'm assuming the latter is correct but wondered where Leeming got his information from? Possibly just covering up about the suicide?
     
  13. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I think the suicide was known at the time, but not, perhaps, explicitly.

    See here:

    Screen Shot 2018-01-16 at 01.07.55.png

    SUICIDE DUE TO ILLUSION - Advocate (Burnie, Tas. : 1890 - 1954) - 9 Feb 1945
     
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  14. Markyboy

    Markyboy Member

    Thanks for that Charley, a very sad but interesting read.
     
  15. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    It is very, very sad :( I read about it in Mark Felton's recent book, but I don't remember if Felton explained what he was thinking at the time.
     

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