(Bad) Back in the Office

A rather eclectic selection - all destined for disposal 

For the purposes of this post I am of course referring to pre pandemic and rather more optimistically perhaps, post pandemic! I have been away from the office on furlough since the very start of the pandemic  and yesterday was my first day back full time in our new suite. The day went as well as it could - the commute was fine with everyone socially distanced and with masks in place. Our new office - which is the same building as our old one, we have merely moved up a floor - is quite small but large enough for our needs once it has been sorted out. That was the task for Monday and much progress has been made in sorting out files etc. The technological side of it has a few teething issues but all should back to normal in a few days.

My role in all this was limited as I have done something to my lower back which means bending and lifting anything larger or heavier than a bag of sugar is pretty uncomfortable. It seems to be worse when I ‘transition’ from laying or sitting down to being upright. Walking about is easy enough as long as I watch what I am doing. It has of course meant that trips up into the man cave have been temporarily put on hold with heinous impact on my modelling of ACW ships i.e. nothing has been done at all!

My desk in the office has been sorted out though and I was pleasantly surprised, albeit it rather short lived,  to find the books you see above. These were acquired from eBay in the months leading up to the start of the pandemic and were a snapshot of what was on the project schedule f two years ago.

I know why I did not take these home and the memories came flooding back as to why. Aside from the condition of the books being below my minimum acceptable standard they all have one thing in common - they all have rather effusive dedications inscribed on the endpapers. 

There are a few things I always try to stick to when buying books.

1. I prefer a hardback version if possible

2. I have a pathological aversion to anything decided as ‘ex libris’

3. The same as 2 except relating to ‘book club’ editions

4. No hand written inscriptions of any kind

It always irritates the life out of me when sellers on eBay do not mention about any of the above!

The books in the picture are now surplus to requirements (the Gill title has been claimed) so if anyone is interested drop me a line to drcrook@btinternet.com and we can work something out. They were not expensive when I purchased them so they will not be so now.

I will not bore you with the whys and wherefores around getting these books but I did want to mention one of them. 

I believe the above was one of a series of similar studies that are worth getting hold of if you can

The Palestine Campaigns by Colonel A. P. Wavell (yes, THAT Wavell) was originally published in 1928 but this copy is of the third edition, 7th impression published in 1940. It was slightly updated to reconcile with the official history of the Palestine Campaigns and the book itself is a really useful guide. There are plenty of detailed orders of battle, several maps (including some fold out types), a history of the campaign as well a useful chapter on the lessons learned and the value of cavalry.

I am interested in the Middle East during the Great War but, unsurprisingly perhaps, this only extends to the Arab and the Senussi Revolts. It is an interesting read though with plenty of inspiration for some WW1  cavalry heavy actions for a change.

The view from my desk. The building you see in the centre with clouds above it is the ‘old lady of Threadneedle Street’ herself - the Bank of England.