Officers and Gentlemen - photo 1
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Officers and Gentlemen - photo 3

Officers and Gentlemen

Sold
£ 15 120
Auction dateClassic
28.09.2023 13:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
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ID 1016358
Lot 114 | Officers and Gentlemen
Officers and Gentlemen

Evelyn Waugh

WAUGH, Evelyn (1903-1966). Officers and Gentlemen. London: Chapman & Hall, 1955.



The dedication copy in a fine blue morocco presentation binding specially bound for Waugh by Sangorski & Sutcliffe. First edition, first issue, inscribed by the author on the dedication leaf to Major-General Sir Robert Laycock: ‘For Bob from Evelyn, July 1955’ and with Laycock’s armorial bookplate.



Waugh served under Laycock during the Second World War in his ‘Layforce’ commando unit and drew on his experiences for a number of his novels including the present work. In dedicating this novel to Laycock, Waugh wrote: ‘He will recognize this story as pure fiction: that is to say of experience totally transformed […] when he led and I lamely followed’. Waugh also based his character Tommy Blackhouse in his ‘Sword of Honour’ trilogy on his former commander. ‘"Bob" Laycock', writes Selina Hastings, 'head of 8 Commando, was the personification in Evelyn’s eyes of the soldier hero, the “commander par excellence”. Brave intelligent, a bit of a maverick, Laycock possessed great qualities of leadership combined with charm, arrogance and an aristocratic self-assurance, that “whiff of White’s”, that to Evelyn was always irresistible’ (Hastings, S., Evelyn Waugh, 1994). While this volume was being specially bound by the binder Sangorski & Sutcliffe, Waugh presented another copy in the dust-jacket to Laycock (see lot 112). Davis 30.



Octavo. Full blue morocco by Sangorski & Sutcliffe, spine in compartments with raised bands gilt, gilt edges, blue watered silk doublures (slightly rubbed at foot of upper cover, lower edge of lower cover chipped with small loss, extremities a trifle rubbed). Provenance: Major-General Sir Robert Laycock (1907-1968; inscription from the author on dedication and Laycock’s armorial bookplate on front free endpaper).

Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
28.09.2023 – 28.09.2023
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
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