DOYLE, Arthur Conan (1859-1930). The Great Boer War. London...

Small 8vo. Illustrated with the (later suppressed) frontispiece portrait of Doyle by Elliott & Fry and 7 illustrations inserted throughout. Original blue cloth, front board decorated in blind, spine stamped in gilt with “Sir Arthur Conan Doyle” on the spine, top edge gilt (spine very gently sunned, joints tender). Provenance: Herbert Woodcock (contemporary booksellers’ ticket).

FIRST SUPPRESSED EDITION, ONE OF A FEW SURVIVING COPIES SUPPRESSED BY DOYLE. “This edition was never published. The whole issue was destroyed. The author refused to pass it because it reprinted the first edition without any revisions, it had no map, and he disliked the ‘Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’ on the spine. His strongest objection was to the use of his portrait as a frontispiece. He wrote on his advance copy: ‘This volume should be unique. When I saw (with horror) that they had put my portrait upon it’ I said I would destroy the whole edition rather than pass it. They then put Lord Roberts as was proper. A.C.D.’” (Green and Gibson B1f). -- [With:] the second issue of this book containing the new frontispiece portrait of Lord Roberts, the double-page map, and the revision of the stamping on the spine now reading “A. Conan Doyle”. Green and Gibson B1f.i.