On the Kindness of Strangers

Original edition Britain in Pictures (1943) on the left
Prion reprint Writers' Britain on the right (1997)

Recently I wrote about my three books in the Britain in Pictures series (here) that were published in the 1940s as a morale booster for the British people as Hitler was bombing the heck out of the country. The 132 books in the series, written by well-known authors, covered all sorts of British life from cricket to postage stamps to universities.

In a shameless appeal to my readers, I asked that if anyone had any others in the series, that they were willing to part with, to let me know in hopes that we could come to financial agreement about the book or books.

To my delight, Joan commented that she had one - English Cities and Small Towns by John Betjeman.  It turns out that her book was part of a series of 1997 reprints by Prion of a few of the books in the original series which it entitled Writers' Britain. Other reprints in this series include Edith Sitwell's English Women, Grahame Green's English Dramatists, and Vita Sackville-West's English Country Houses. 

The reprints include the black and white illustrations and color plates that were published in the originals. They are a bit smaller (7.5 x 5) than the originals and fit nicely in the hands for reading. 

Joan kindly donated her copy to my collection and I am thrilled to have it.  I have never seen either of the editions in my trolling of used bookstores in America, but I will keep looking. 

Thanks again, Joan!

Britain in Pictures

I have been doing a bit of book sleuthing this morning about a series launched in 1941 by Collins (now HarperCollins) called Britain in Pictures. Apparently, the 132 books in the series were designed to boost morale at a time when Hitler was threatening to cross the English Channel.

The books were written by some very famous writers - George Orwell (The English People), Edith Sitwell (Women), Graham Greene (Dramatists) - and covered everything from British boxing and birds to cricket and farming. There is even a volume on British hills and mountains.

Each slim book is octavo sized and contains black and white illustrations and 'plates in colour'. 

I happen to know about this series through three books that I bought on a now-long-ago trip to England and Scotland. I didn't know at the time their history:

English Novelists by Elizabeth Bowen, English Gardens by Harry Roberts, and British Universities by S.C. Roberts

Each volume runs about 50 pages. Two of my copies still have their original jackets. I bought the three for two pounds each. I don't remember if I purchased them in London or one of the other towns I visited. 

Oh, yes. I was the one going through customs declaring 'books' while everyone else was bringing home woolens, pottery, and tea sets.

Now three does not a collection make, and these three books have been languishing all alone on my shelves for many years, but in the age of the Internet, I feel a little thrill of excitement at the prospect of finding more. 

Who could resist the books that cover Villages, Postage Stamps, Wild Flowers, and The English at Table? And, what fun it will be tracking them down!

Perhaps you, dear readers, have one or two of the series gathering dust on your bookshelves. If so, let me know, and maybe we can strike a bargain.