My searches on eBay, AbeBooks, and other on-line booksellers turned up few 19th century editions of the book, although a multitude of print-on-demand editions were being offered for exorbitant prices. Imagine my delight when I found an affordable copy on AbeBooks, which was being billed as a "scarce" edition published in 1864. When receiving the book a couple weeks later, however, I soon began to doubt that I had acquired a first edition of Our Boys.
A few differences immediately stood out from the 1864 edition available on Google Books. The title page in the first edition lists a publication date of 1864. The edition I purchased has no date on the title page, although a copyright date of 1864 appears on the reverse side of the title page. The first edition has a frontispiece of a scene from the book; my version has a portrait of the author instead. The 1864 edition also contains a flowery dedication to Gen. George B. McClellan, but the same tribute is missing from my copy. Finally, I noticed that the 1864 edition includes advertisements at the start of the book, with Our Boys listed first in a series of books that "[e]very friend of the soldier wants." The advertisements in my book appear at the very end, including one for Life and Public Services of Abraham Lincoln by Frank Crosby. With a little detective work, I discovered that this book on Lincoln was first published in 1865, a dead giveaway that I did not have an 1864 edition of Our Boys!
Frontispiece and title page of the edition that I purchased. |
Spine of my circa 1890 edition, showing gilt design and lettering. The book is in good condition, with slight cocking and signs of rubbing on the covers. The binding is still relatively tight. |
Cover of 1890 edition by Keystone Publishing Company of Philadelphia (courtesy of Books of Valor). This book is a first edition of the Keystone printing of Our Boys. Note the slightly different title of Our Boys in the Army. |
I am glad to have found a 19th century edition of Our Boys. It certainly has the authenticity that those expensive print-on-demand versions cannot offer. Of course, I've gained some additional insights into on-line book purchasing. Claims of "first edition" should be thoroughly investigated. When in doubt, take the time to ask questions and have the bookseller send pictures. (AbeBooks has a valuable guide on this topic.) For now, the search for a first edition of Our Boys continues. Perhaps I will find a copy the romantic, old-fashioned way, while spending a rainy afternoon in a used and rare bookstore.
4 comments:
Hi Ron,
I know the frustration. Even on places like ABE, which supposedly is populated by knowledgeable professionals a cut above Amazon and Ebay 3P sellers, you frequently find outfits that cannot accurately grade books or properly determine edition even when it is straightforward. I also love it when sellers call their items scarce or rare, when the book is listed alongside a half dozen others...LOL.
Drew
Hi Drew,
Thanks for the comment. It certainly is frustrating. Maybe a maxim should be to avoid any book dubbed "scarce"! I've become more and more suspicious of on-line sellers the more I learn about antique books, which is a relatively new hobby for me (and an extension of my Civil War one)! This most recent experience confirms the need to be diligent about claims that are being made. At least eBay posts photos, but on AbeBooks one usually has to write to the seller to get them (a transactions cost). But in all honesty, if I can figure out what is or is not a first edition, I would expect that a "professional" could too! In any event, the book was valued fairly, so at least I was not overcharged.
Fascinating stuff - not only researching by looking at books, but researching the books themselves. That's got to be pretty tough.
I know I don't have a lot to add to the topic, but seeing those photos leads me to say how beautiful that book is and how many antique books have such beautiful covers. I do see some good dust covers on modern books, but rarely anything that beautiful. I guess "don't judge a book by its cover" applies here, but that is a cool-looking book
Thanks for the comment, Richard. I am glad you found the post interesting. You hit on a few of the reasons why I love book collecting so much. There is the element of learning about the published work itself, which in some cases requires more research than anticipated. The Internet makes things a lot easier than I imagine they used to be. (For example, until Google Books, or other on-line libraries, there would have been no way to figure out what the first edition looked like short of going to actual libraries, and even they likely did not have every book available.) As you point out, old books can be just plain beautiful. Printing was quite an art at one time, and there is something special about collecting such visually appealing publications. Lastly, holding, touching, and owning a book from a certain time period is a way to reach back and feel connected to the past in a personal way. I like to think that even in an age of e-readers, collectors are helping to preserve physical books for future generations. Some day my boys--just 20 months now--will benefit from my collection in an age when actual books may be a distant memory!
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