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SECTION A: Books written, co-written or translated by Robert Graves

A51 SERGEANT LAMB OF THE NINTH [1940]

a. First edition:

SERGEANT LAMB | OF THE NINTH | by | ROBERT GRAVES | AUTHOR OF | ‘I, CLAUDIUS’, ‘CLAUDIUS THE GOD’ | ‘COUNT BELISARIUS’ ETC. | [publisher’s emblem] | METHUEN & CO. LTD. LONDON | 36 Essex Street, Strand, W.C.2

Collation: π6 1–238 244, 194 leaves.

p.[i] SERGEANT LAMB | OF THE NINTH; p.[ii] list of regiments; [frontispiece,letter from Lamb, back blank]; p.[iii] title-page; p.[iv] publication and printing notices; pp.v–vi FOREWORD; pp.vii–xi ROGER LAMB’S NOTE OF EXPLANATION; p. [xii] blank; pp.1–376 text; [fold-out map tipped to p.376 and rear endpaper].

18.5 × 12.3 cm. Bulk: 3.0/3.4 cm. White wove paper; all edges trimmed. White wove endpapers. Bound in plum-red cloth; front and back blank; spine stamped in white: SERGEANT | LAMB | OF | THE NINTH | ROBERT | GRAVES | METHUEN

Price: 8s 6d. Number of copies: 10,000. Published 12 September 1940 in white dust-jacket printed in red, black, brown, green and blue. The dust-jacket of the first impression has publisher’s advertisements for I, CLAUDIUS and CLAUDIUS THE GOD on the back panel

Notes: Impressions: 2nd, July 1945 (2,500 copies).

The dust-jacket was designed by John Aldridge.

This book has been translated into Czech, German and Spanish.

The second impression is called “SECOND EDITION” between ll. 7/8 on the title-page; it collates [1]162–1116 11/132/l6 [sic: 11 for 12]; 18.2 × 12.3 cm.

Cedric Chivers, Bath, in conjunction with the Library Association issued a photographic reprint of A51a in 1969. Red cloth stamped in gold on the spine. Issued in dust-jacket.

Hutchinson issued a photographic reprint of this edition in 1985. Pp.[i], [iii] – [iv] have been reset; there are two blank leaves after p.376; there is no folding map after p.376; and there is no frontispiece. However, a note, in different type, has been added at the foot of p.vi stating: ‘Not reproduced in this edition.’ This book is perfect bound and is in white covers printed in black, red, and tan. It measures 21.4 × 13.6 cm. Bulk 2.6 cm.

A51b. First American edition ([1940]):

[rectangular double-rule box enclosing all:] Sergeant LAMB’S | [in red:] AMERICA | [rule] | by Robert Graves | [rule] | [in red: publisher’s emblem] | RANDOM HOUSE | New York

Collation: [1] – [25]8, 200 leaves.

2 pp. blank; p.[i] SERGEANT LAMB’S | AMERICA; p.[ii] list of books by Graves; p.[iii] title-page; p.[iv] acknowledgement, printing and copyright notices; p.[v] facsimile of letter by Lamb; p.[vi] transcript of letter facing; pp.vii–viii Foreword; pp.ix–xiii Roger Lamb’s Note of Explanation; p. [xiv] list of regiments; p.[1] SERGEANT LAMB’S | AMERICA; p.[2] blank; pp.3–380 text; pp.[381]–[384] blank.

21.1 × 14.2 cm. Bulk: 3.4/4.1 cm. White wove paper; all edges trimmed; top edges stained blue in some copies. Rear endpapers blank white wove paper; front endpapers white wove, inner sides printed with map of Lamb’s travels. Bound in red cloth; back blank; front has blue paper label with white legend: [double-rule rectangular box enclosing all:] Sergeant LAMB’S | AMERICA | [rule] | Robert Graves; spine has blue label with white legend: [double-rule rectangular box enclosing all:] | Sergeant LAMB’S | AMERICA | [rule] | ROBERT | GRAVES | Random House

Price: $2.50. Number of copies undisclosed. Published 1 November 1940 in white dust-jacket printed in black, red, green and gold.

Notes: There were an unknown number of advance copies consisting of gathered and trimmed signatures, perfect bound in dust-jacket glued at the spine, serving as covers. Top edges not stained.

There was a second printing of this edition, probably before 1 November 1940, which can be distinguished as follows: on the verso of the title-page the note, “A transcription of Sergeant Lamb’s letter appears on reverse side of facing page” and the statement, “Second Printing before publication”; the top edges of some copies are stained blue.

A51c. Second English edition ([1950]):

SERGEANT LAMB | OF THE NINTH | [swelled rule with elliptical asterisk in centre] | ROBERT GRAVES | [star] | PENGUIN BOOKS | HARMONDSWORTH ∙ MIDDLESEX

Collation: [A]l6 B–L16, 176 leaves.

p.[1] PENGUIN BOOKS | 725 | SERGEANT LAMB OF THE NINTH | ROBERT GRAVES | [publisher’s emblem]; p.[2] publication, publisher’s and printer’s notices; p.[3] title-page; p.4 list of regiments; p.5 Foreword; pp.6–7 [8] ROGER LAMB’S NOTE OF EXPLANATION; pp.9–15text; pp.[16]–[17] map; pp.18–352 text.

18.1 × 11.1 cm. Bulk: 1.6 cm. White wove paper; all edges trimmed. Bound in white paper covers printed in orange and black. The inner front cover has a blurb and the inner back cover has publisher’s advertisements

Price: 1s. 6d. Number of copies: 45,000. Published in February 1950.

A51d. Third English edition ([1961]):

ROBERT GRAVES | [rule] | SERGEANT LAMB | OF THE NINTH | MAY FAIR BOOKS

Collation: [A]16 B–I16 [K]l6, 160 leaves.

p.[1] blurb; p.[2] publisher’s notice, list of books by Graves, copyright and publication notices; p.[3] title-page; pp.[4]–[5] map; p.6 list of regiments; pp.7–316 text; p.317 Postcript; pp.318–320 Roger Lamb’s Note of Explanation

17.4 × 10.8 cm. Bulk: 1.8 cm. White wove paper; all edges trimmed. Bound in white paper covers printed in green, blue, red, magenta and black; inside of front and back covers blank.

Price: 3s. 6d. Number of copies: 25,000. Published 15 July 1961.

Note: This is May Fair Book no. 12.

A51e. Second American edition ([1962]):

ROBERT GRAVES | [decorative divider] | Sergeant Lamb’s | AMERICA | [publisher’s emblem] | VINTAGE BOOKS | A Division of Random House | New York

Collation: 176 leaves, glued at spine.

p.[i] Sergeant Lamb’s | AMERICA; p.[ii] blank; p.[iii] title-page; p.[vi] edition, publisher’s copyright and manufacturing notices; pp.[v]–vi Foreword; pp.[vii] viii–xi Roger Lamb’s | Note of Explanation; p.[xii] list of regiments; p.[1] Sergeant Lamb’s | AMERICA; p.[2] blank; pp.[3] 4–339 text, pp.[92, 105, 119, 147, 241] being unnumbered; p.[340] biographical, typographical, printer’s and designer’s notices.

18.4 × 11.1 cm. Bulk: 1.6 cm. White wove paper; all edges trimmed. Bound in white paper covers printed in blue, red and black.

Price: $1.45. Number of copies undisclosed. Published 30 April 1962. This is Vintage Book V-217.

Notes: The cover design is by Edward Gorey.

In 1986 Academy Chicago Publishers issued a photographic reprint in paper covers. There was a second impression in 1995 and a third in 2005.

Reference: Toledano, p. 117.

A51f. Fourth English edition ([2012]):

[all flush left:] ROBERT GRAVES | Sergeant Lamb of the Ninth | [publisher’s emblem] | PENGUIN BOOKS

Collation: 144 leaves, glued at the spine.

p. [i] PENGUIN MODERN CLASSICS | Sergeant Lamb of the Ninth | biographical sketch of Graves; p. [ii] blank; p. [iii] title-page; p. [iv] publisher’s publication, copyright, printer’s, ISBN and paper sourcing notices; p. [1] [all within single-rule rectangle with decorative ends:] SERGEANT LAMB | OF THE NINTH; p. [2] map; pp. [3]–4 Foreword; pp. [5]–8 ROGER LAMB’S NOTE OF EXPLANATION; pp. [9]–270 text; pp. [271]–[284] publisher’s advertisements.

19.7 × 12.9 cm. Bulk: 1.7 cm. White wove paper; all edges trimmed. Bound in white paper covers printed in pale grey, medium grey, black and orange.

Price: £14.99. Number of copies undetermined. Published 26 January 2012.

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