Book- Military Misreadings of Shakspere by Major Thomas Seccombe & Paul Cordle (signed)
"This book is fun; it throws an amusing light on the British Army as the British Empire approached the apogee of its power... This short book should make a colourful addition to the home of anyone remotely interested in military history and Shakespeare; and I wish it success."
General Sir Jack Deverell KCB OBE DL, Commandant 1995-97
This is a special book, a real one off and quite unlike anything you have ever looked at. It reproduces a book of the 1880s by Major Thomas Seccombe of the Royal Artillery, who drew hilarious caricatures of military life at the time, each picture matched with a quote from Shakespeare. However well you know your Shakespeare many of these quotes will be new to you, and the pictures themselves are a delight. The army shown here is hardly heroic – officers and soldiers are seen with great affection but in a series of ridiculous scrapes – often involving an inability to deal with either horses or women (and sometimes both.) The link with the noble sentiments in Shakespeare's words makes their situations seem even more absurd
All this is very funny, and it is no surprise that the book was a bestseller when first published nearly 150 years ago. But even better in this new edition – beautifully published - there are informative explanatory notes by former Grenadier Guards officer Paul Cordle drawing attention to some of the customs shown and the uniforms worn in each picture, and the units depicted with their ever-changing names and numbers (what's new you might say.) These notes are themselves full of fascinating detail. In short, the book is a delight. John Pitt-Brooke, CBE
ISBN: 978-1-910533-51-2
Size: 171 x 248 mm Landscape
Pages: 80
Illustrations: 32