More Yarns (1931, signed first edition)

Signed and annotated by "Stalky" (Lionel Dunsterville)

Author

Publisher

Printing Details

First edition. Hardback, bound in black cloth with gilt titling to spine. 19.5 × 13cm, 285pp.

This copy has been signed and annotated by Lionel Dunsterville. The preface has a signed dedication from Dunsterville which reads "To Nell and Pat Fleming of Tavistone, with my love Lionel Dunsterville, Beer, 23 Jan 1943". On the contents page, Dunsterville has added some handwritten annotations as to the origin of the story, He writes (the numbers referring to the chapter) "1, 2, 6, 9, 13 are really based on facts, 3, 13 my own experiences, 17. my own dog" and then "Publishers ought always to give date of publication. I suppose this was written about 1930". There is then a further annotation which reads "11. Is my wife and her two sisters. Dora—Doddy, Daisie—Daffy, Dolly—Denny. I won't ask you to believe it is quite a true story but they are all ultra-altruists and Dora exaggeratedly so". (Dunsterville has also underlined some titles in red and a few key phrases in the preface).

A series of eighteen yarns from his military and colonial days. Dunsterville was a high-ranking British officer, and leader of Dunsterforce in the Great War, but he is immortalized in literature as the inspiration for the character "Stalky" in Rudyard Kipling’s famous school stories, Stalky & Co. Kipling and Dunsterville were childhood friends at the United Services College.

Condition

A fair to good copy. The black cloth is rubbed and there is fairly comprehensive foxing to the first and large few pages, and page edges. One small area of fraying to the rear joint but otherwise the book remains in strong readable condition and is a rare copy to find signed.