A Frenchman in Khaki, a presentation copy inscribed by the author.
London & Toronto: William Heinemann, Ltd., 1934. First edition, second printing. Hardcover. This inscribed presentation copy of the First World War memoirs of French painter Paul Maze is noteworthy in multiple respects. The text for the author’s singular perspective. The edition for featuring a compelling and contemplative introduction by Winston S. Churchill, Maze’s friend and fellow painter. This particular copy for a warm inscription by the author.
The inscription, inked in black in two lines on the title page, reads: “Pour mon ami Daber | Paul Maze”. The identity of the recipient is unverified. However, a two-line stamp in purple ink reading "D. CLAIROUIN" above the Paris address "66, Rue de Miromensnil - VIII" was applied to the lower white stripe of the dust jacket's front face, to the front free endpaper recto, to the half title recto, and to the frontispiece verso. These are the only ownership marks apart from the author's inscription. Laid in is a contemporary newspaper clipping, a lengthy original review of the book from the 21 October 1934 issue of the Sunday Times.
This inscribed presentation copy is the second printing of the first edition, which occurred in November 1934, the month following the October 1934 first printing. Condition is very good minus in a fair dust jacket. The khaki cloth binding printed in blue is square, tight, and unfaded with modest shelf wear to extremities and some soiling and toning to the lower spine, corresponding to a dust jacket loss. The contents retain a bright appearance and crisp feel, with spotting primarily confined to the prelims and page edges. The dust jacket is unclipped, retaining the original lower front flap price. There is loss to the spine ends, extending onto the adjacent faces, as well as smaller loss to the lower edge of the rear face and to the flap fold corners. The jacket retains bright color but shows overall soiling and spotting and is now protected beneath a clear, removable, archival cover.
Paul Lucien Maze (1887-1979) was regarded as one of the great artists of his generation and “learned the rudiments of painting from family friends that included Renoir, Monet, Dufy and Pissarro.” In August 1914, Maze found himself admiring British troops disembarking at Le Havre and, improbably, asked to be taken to the front with them. More astonishingly still, his request was granted. Thus began an odyssey that saw Maze spend the majority of the war accompanying, supporting, keenly observing, sketching, and admiring the British Army. A Frenchman in Khaki is his account.
“He got to know and sketch every mile of the blood-stained soil of France and Flanders occupied by the British army.” (Sunday Times review, 21 October 1934) The dust jacket’s front and rear flaps feature an extended excerpt from Churchill’s Introduction, which praises not only Maze’s unique perspective and proven courage, but also says of Maze that he “perceived the beauties of light and shade, of form and colour, of which even the horrors of war cannot rob the progress of the sun.”
On the front in 1916, Maze met Winston Churchill, who was serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the trenches during his political exile following the Dardanelles disaster. Churchill had only recently discovered painting, a passion Maze encouraged as both a close friend and mentor for the rest of Churchill’s life.
Reference: Cohen B56, Woods B25. Item #008166
Price: $450.00