31. [Strong, George Crockett] The Secretary of War.

U.S. Infantry Tactics, for the Instruction, Exercise and Manoeuvres of the United States Infantry, Including Infantry of the Line, Light Infantry, and Riflemen. [with vintage cabinet photograph / Carte de visite of Union Brigadier General George Crockett Strong, loosely inserted and his name signed and dated to endpaper on April 28, 1863 (3 months prior to his death after being wounded during his assault on Fort Wagner on Morris Island, South Carolina)]. Prepared under the direction of the War Department, and Authorized and Adopted by the Secretary of War, May 1, 1861. Containing The School of the Soldier; The School of the Company; Instruction for Skirmishers; the General Calls, the Calls for Skirmishers, and the School of the Battalion; Including the Articles of War and a Dictionary of Military Terms.

Philadelphia, J.B. Lippincott & Co, 1861. 9.3 cm x 13.5 cm. Fold-out Frontispiece, 450 pages. 77 plates with illustrations of various stances and manoeuvres. 12 additional fold-out diagrams. Hardcover / publisher’s original blue pebbled cloth with gilt lettering and stamp on spine. Blind triple ruling and stamp on both boards. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Corners slightly bumped. Very minor abrasion to cloth at bottom front corner. Very minor closed tear to page 25. Minor foxing occasionally throughout. Signs of dampstaining evident throughout otherwise clean and bright volume. Binding good and firm and tight bookblock. Inked annotation to title page. Ownership annotation to front pastedown. Embossed stamp of Wm B Sprague Jr, 51 State St, Albany on front endpaper. Endpaper also carries pencilled signature of George C Strong dated April 28 1862. Carte de visite of General Strong also loosely inserted.

32. Vertot, Abbe René-Aubert de. / Mitchel, J. / [Provenance: George Evans, 3rd Baron Carbery]

The History of the Revolution in Sweden – Occasion’d by the Changes of Religion, and Alteration of the Government, in that Kingdom. Written Originally in French, by the Abbot Vertot: Printed at Paris. And Done into English, by J. Mitchel, M. D.

The Sixth Edition. London, Printed for James and John Knapton, 1729. Octavo. [24], 312 pages. Hardcover / Original full calf, recently rebacked in beautiful style of the 18th century by an english master-bindery. With gilt lettering and ornament to the new spine. Original boards preserved. Excellent condition after the restoration with Exlibris / Bookplates of three previous owners: William Bartlett / Erik Haugaard / and most importantly with the anonymous armorial bookplate (″Libertas”) of George Evans, 3rd Baron Carbery (died 1783) [The titlepage signed by George Evans, 3rd Baron Carbery]. Wonderfully clean and on excellent paper.

33. [Wherland, James Richard (M.D. Cork)] Hamilton, Alexander.

Outlines of the Theory and Practice of Midwifery [Personal copy of Cork Doctor James Richard Wherland (son of Cork Engineer James Wherland (1815-1889)].

Third Edition, Improved. London, Printed for T.Kay / Sold by W.Creech, 1791. Octavo. XIII, 426 pages. Hardcover / Original, full leather with original spine-label with gilt lettering on spine. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. Remains of abookplate to pastedown. From the personal library of Cork Doctor James Richard Wherland with his entry to the endpaper: “James Richard Wherland – Medical Student – Cork”.

34. Yeats, William Butler / [George [Georgie] Yeats / Mrs. Eva Hempel / Eduard Hempel].

Pages from a Diary Written in Nineteen Hundred and Thirty. [Signed / Inscribed by George Yeats to Mrs. [Eva] Hempel, wife of german ambassador to Ireland during World War II].

No.8 / 200 copies, of the original limited edition. Dublin, The Cuala Press, 1944 [September 1944]. Octavo. 58 pages. Original Hardcover. Inscribed by George Yeats on the front free endpaper: “Mrs. Hempel from George Yeats, April 1944”. This has to be of course “April 1945”. The impossibility of signing/inscribing a book in April 1944 if it was only published in September 1944 is easily explained with the classic everyday-mistake of still writing the previous year in the first few months of the following year. A stunning association. The signature and inscription is a solid match to George Yeats’ autographs in her later hand and William Butler Yeats and George Yeats were frequent visitors to the Hempel’s in Dublin. In addition, the low number of the edition (8/200) suggests this being one of the reference copies given to George Yeats, who contributed heavily to the volume and even added an explanatory note (in print) verso the titlepage. This copy is near fine, bound in the publisher’s quarter buckram over yellow, paper-covered boards. The books pages remained unopened. Eva Hempel’s husband Eduard Hempel is one of the most controversial figures in modern Irish history, excoriated by some as ‘Hitler’s man’, defended by others such as the country’s first President, Eamon De Valera. Certainly, Hempel presented William Butler Yeats in 1938 with a copy of ‘Germany Speaks’ whose inscription described an ‘unforgettable afternoon’ spent together by Yeats and Hempel. Eduard Hempel and his wife were accepted socialites in the Dublin world of World War II, famously receiving a condolence call by de Valera upon the death of Hitler. Eduard Hempel and his wife Eva were granted asylum in Ireland after world war II and stayed way beyond the end of World War II.