Selected War Poems from Rupert Brooke, Edward Thomas, Wilfred Owen

A collection of three beautiful limited editions published in series by the Folio Society to commemorate the centenaries of Rupert Brooke's, Edward Thomas' and Wilfred Owen's deaths. The design of these fine binding honours the craft techniques employed at the beginning of the 20th century, with letterpress printing on sumptuous, mould-made paper, a goatskin leather quarter-binding and hand-made paste-paper sides by Victoria Hall. 

In our opinion, some of the finest productions brought forward by the Folio Society, doing complete justice to three of the fathers of war poetry. With beautiful engravings and litographs Ed Kluz, David Gentleman and Neil Bousfield. 

These copies are in near-fine condition, with pages tightly bound, clean and free of any inscriptions. The bindings are square and sound, with the most minor wear to the leather on the Owen volume. The slipcases are equally fine, with minor shelf-wear and only a couple of shallow knocks on the slipcase of the Edward Thomas volume.

Rupert Brooke, Selected Poems. London: The Folio Society, [2015]. Introduced by Jon Stallworthy, lithographs by Ed Kluz. 250 × 180 × 17 mm. Pp. [1–2], [i–vi] vii–xxi [xxii], [1–2] 3–60 [61–64]: [15] leaves of plates (facing pp. [v], 3, 60 and between pp. 12–13, 20–21, 28–29, 36–37, 52–53 and 56–57). Type: Walbaum. Typeset by Gloucester Typesetting Services. Printed letterpress by Stonehouse Fine Press on Zerkall mould-made paper with the lithographs by Curwen Studio. Bound by L.E.G.O. in quarter blue leather with hand-patterned paper boards by Victoria Hall; dark blue-grey endleaves. Dark blue slip case blocked on one side with lithograph panel. The edition statement reads in part ‘limited to 1750 numbered copies, for sale to members of The Folio Society, and 20 lettered copies hors de commerce’. Kluz’s illustrations consist of three full-page lithographs, six colour double-page spreads and six vignettes. Containing 37 poems. This is copy number 539.

Brooke is famous both for his evocation of Edwardian England in poems such as ‘The Old Vicarage, Grantchester’ and for the wide-eyed patriotism of his later poems that herald the coming conflict. He died aged 27, before this illusion of a just and heroic war was completely shattered, although his final poem suggests that he may have begun to reconsider his idealistic stance. This edition contains superb new lithographs by Ed Kluz that capture the vitality and beauty of his verse.

[together with]

Edward Thomas, Selected Poems. London: The Folio Society, [2017]. Introduced by Andrew Motion, lithographs by David Gentleman. 250 × 180 × 17 mm. Pp. [1–2], [i–vi] vii–xvi, [1–2] 3–66 [67–70]: [15] leaves of colour plates (facing pp. [v], 3, 66, and between pp. 10–11, 18–19, 26–27, 34–35, 42–43 and 58–59). Type: Bembo. Typeset by Gloucester Typesetting Services. Printed letterpress by Stonehouse Fine Press on Zerkall mould-made paper with the lithographs by Curwen Studio. Bound by L.E.G.O. in quarter dark green leather with paper boards by Victoria Hall; dark green-brown endleaves. Dark green-brown slip case blocked in gold. The edition statement, each signed by Gentleman, reads in part ‘limited to 1250 numbered copies for sale to members of The Folio Society, and 20 lettered copies hors de commerce’. Gentleman’s illustrations consist of three full-page lithographs, six colour double-page spreads and nine vignettes. Containing 50 poems. This is copy number 1111.

Edward Thomas only began writing poetry two years before he was killed in action at Arras in 1917. Long regarded as a ‘poet’s poet’, he is now acknowledged as one of the greatest writers of the English countryside, his verse grounded in a pastoral patriotism that makes him unique among the poets of the First World War.

[together with]

Wilfred Owen, Selected Poems. London: The Folio Society, [2018]. Introduced by Owen Sheers, engravings by Neil Bousfield. 251 × 180 × 16 mm. Pp. [i–viii] ix–xvii [xviii], [1–2] 3–58 [59–62]: [14] leaves of colour plates (facing pp. 3, 58, and between pp. 10–[11], 18–19, 26–27, 34–35, 42–43 and 50–51). Type: Plantin. Printed letterpress by The Logan Press on Zerkall mould-made paper with engravings by L.E.G.O. on Natural Evolution Ivory. Bound by L.E.G.O. in quarter brown goatskin leather with paper boards by Victoria Hall; grey endleaves. Pale brown slip case blocked in gold with printed paper label of a detail from one of the engravings. The edition statement, each signed by Bousfield, reads in part ‘limited to 1250 numbered copies for sale and 20 lettered copies hors de commerce’. Bousfield’s illustrations consist of two full-page and six double-page spreads plus eight vignettes. Containing 42 poems. This is copy 1242.

Wilfred Owen is the ultimate soldier-poet, a writer whose verses have irrevocably shaped our understanding of the horrors of the First World War. One hundred years after his death in combat at the age of just twenty-five, his war poems have achieved canonical status.