Worms and Epitaphs - 1919

he Sole UK printing published by B.H. Blackwell, Oxford in 1919. The BOOK is in Very God++ or better condition. Mild splaying of the upper board. The boards are clean and the gilt titling remains bright. Very light toning to the text-block and extreme page edges. Two previous owners neat penned names, one to the front free end paper and the other to the front paste-down. The WRAPPER is complete and is in Very Good++ or better condition with only a small amount of wear to the spine ends. The spine is mildly toned with a little light rubbing in places. The illustrated wrapper design by 'M.T.' looks striking in the removable Brodart archival cover. The wrapper artwork depicts tombstones in a graveyard with prominent Minister s names on them and a worm underneath the title. (H)eathcote (W)illiam Garrod worked on the civilian side during the war, first with the Ministry of Munitions and then in the Ministry of Reconstruction. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1918 New Year Honours for his efforts. This, Garrod s only collection of poetry about WW1, contains his well-known verse, a poem called Epitaph Neuve Chapelle which reads 'Tell them at home, there s nothing here to hide: we took our orders, asked no questions, died'. The poem relates to an offensive in March 1915, where the British attempted to break through the German line of trenches at Neuve Chapelle. In the Battle, the 7th Meerut Division of the Indian Corps led the attack, suffering over 4,200 casualties with no strategic gain made. Other poetry in the collection follow a similar theme including epitaphs for the war cabinet of the time including Lloyd George, Balfour, and Winston Churchill who at the later part of the war was the munitions Minister. This is a scarce collection of poetry more-so with the wrapper. The first we have handled. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact.