Ivor Gurney | War's Embers, London, 1919, first edition, inscribed by the author

Ivor Gurney

War's Embers. London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1919

FIRST EDITION, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR, 8vo, rebound in green morocco, slight marginal dampstaining

First edition of the author's second book, inscribed in his hand: "To Lascelles Abercrombie with admiration" but—as with a couple of other presentation copies—unsigned. The recipient was a fellow Dymock and WW1 poet and a close friend of the author. Gurney's early musical promise was rewarded with a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, where his teacher Sir Charles Stanford considered him a greater talent than Ireland, Bliss or even Vaughan Williams. (There are several references to Abercrombie in Blevins's biography of Gurney.) A very good copy.