Blog Archives
Wahoo! A Bounty of Historical and Antique Books!
There are abundance of book dealers and vendors to visit at the Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair and attendees should spend time in each booth to find the treasures they seek.
Having attended many types of collectibles (sports memorabilia, coins, comic books, etc.) and antique shows over the course of the past few decades, I can attest that this event (that held my attention for several hours) was probably the most captivating of them all.
Knowing that I had not previously attended a show of this nature, one of my militaria collector colleagues told me about the Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair and that there would be book dealers who specialize in military history and associated rare and hard to find publications. Knowing that I’d have an opportunity to locate an out of print work or simply peruse literal pages of military history made attending this show an absolute must.
While the Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair is dominated by vintage and collectible books, there is also a considerable amount of ephemera, such as this WWI war savings stamps poster, for sale.
These two late-19th century books are in pristine condition.
Waiting in line to enter the exhibition hall, a staff member briefed the eager crowd about the rules, in order to provide the sellers with a measure of inventory security, to gain admittance: there would be no heavy coats, large bags or loose books allowed in. Once I checked my coat, I walked through the large double doors and my eyes immediately widened. From the highly organized booth spaces, complete with LED-lighted glass display cases and large bookshelves and wall-to-wall carpet, one could tell this wasn’t the typical gathering of vendors.
The very first display that I visited, my eyes were overwhelmed by the pristine, recognizable titles. I began to peer into the gleaming displays featuring books and noted works that were worthy of the bright lights and presentation. Books from the 18th and 19th century in pristine condition were sitting side-by-side with rare, one-of-a-kind manuscripts and documents. Booth after booth, I was continually amazed by each vendor’s wares.
-
- Although not specifically militaria-related, this late 18th century whaling ship log (from two ships; the Harlequin and Leviathan) was an amazing piece of history to see. At $75,000, it was a few “zeros” out of my financial reach.
-
- Yet another whaling ship log. This one for the vessel, William, dates from 1838. Note the whale stamp next to the latitude and longitude entry.
-
- WWII cruise books of the battleships USS Colorado and USS West Virginia.
-
- The aircraft carrier USS Saratoga’s WWII cruise book is in absolute pristine condition and was available for only $200.
Unfortunately for me, most of the pieces that truly held my interest had price tags well into the thousands (such as the Narrative of the Mutiny aboard His Majesty’s Ship Bounty published in 1790 for a mere $12,500, which was exceptional). Had my bank account been more flush, I would have had a much more difficult time trying to make a decision between the various historic items for purchase.
-
- For a mere $30, this later printing of Medal of Honor recipient Greg Boyington’s autobiographic work was a steal…
-
- …That it was autographed was extremely enticing, even though I already had signed copy!
With a few dollars burning a hole in my pocket, I knew I couldn’t leave the show empty-handed. Having walked the entire show over the course of a few hours, I returned to an earlier-visited vendor who specializes in military books and selected the signed first edition of Medal of Honor recipient Rear Admiral Richard O’Kane’s World War II narrative about the legendary submarine, the USS Wahoo and her fearless skipper, Commander Dudley “Mush” Morton.
After visiting the military book vendor’s booth several times, I was drawn to add to my collection of Medal of Honor recipients’ autographs; purchasing Rear Admiral O’Kane’s work on the WWII submarine, the USS Wahoo.
With a few dollars burning a hole in my pocket, I knew I couldn’t leave the show empty-handed. Having walked the entire show over the course of a few hours, I returned to an earlier-visited vendor who specializes in military books and selected the signed first edition of Medal of Honor recipient Rear Admiral Richard O’Kane’s World War II narrative about the legendary submarine, the USS Wahoo and her fearless skipper, Commander Dudley “Mush” Morton.
My first edition copy of Wahoo is autographed by Rear Admiral Richard O’Kane.
My feet thoroughly tired and my hunger pangs overwhelming me, my time at the fair drew to a close and I was happy to be leaving with a piece to add to my collection of autographs from notable military veterans.
Pappy’s Mameluke
Perhaps no other (U.S.) branch of service reveres their dress sword or sabre as much as the United States Marine Corps. Likewise, no other branch has quite the history as do the Marines with regards to their beautifully appointed blade, the Mameluke.
Note the unique handle and hilt of the Mameluke. This example is a World War I-era sword (eBay photo).
Dating back to the days of hand to hand combat when Marines had a prominent presence aboard U.S. Navy warships, swords and sabres were a required arsenal element issued to both officers and regular, enlisted men. In the age of sail, enemy ships would draw within gun range, firing upon each other with cannons in an effort to disable their opponents’ ability to maneuver and make way. Once the enemy was disabled, boarding of the vessel for capture was usually the goal. Victorious in the gun battle, the ship would be positioned alongside the prey and the boarding parties, already armed and assembled, would initiate hand-to-hand fighting as they poured over the gunwales to take their prize. Firing single-shot pistols and brandishing their swords and sabres, the Marines would overpower the wounded ship’s crew to capture their prize.
Today, swords are only used by officers and enlisted men in the Marine Corps for ceremonies and formal occasions. For officers’ wear, that sword is known simply as the Mameluke (pronounced: ma’am-uh-luke). With its origins dating back to 1805 when Presley O’Bannon, a Marine veteran of the Barbary War, was presented a sword by Prince Hamet (viceroy of the Ottoman Empire) following the Battle of Derne. In 1825, 5th Marine Corps Commandant Archibald Henderson adopted a sword (that was modeled after O’Bannon’s Ottoman gift) for wear by officers. With very little design change, the Mameluke is the second longest tenured sword in the U.S. military service; the Army’s model 1840 has been in consecutive service since inception while the older Mameluke was set aside from 1859-1875.
Arguably, the Mameluke is one of the most collectible U.S. military swords due to its unique design, aesthetic qualities and very limited quantities. Even more collectible are those swords whose original owners were Marine Corps legends.
Boyington’s engraved Mameluke sword on display at VMF-214 squadron hangar’s museum (USMC photo).
Imagine perusing a local garage sale where you happen to spot a military scabbard with a sword handle protruding. You see grasp the handle, examining the condition and notice the distinctive white, hooked handle with a cross-shaped gilded hilt. You begin to recognize that you are holding a Mameluke. Curious to see if there is any engraving present, you withdraw the blade from the scabbard. Checking the grimy, corroded surface inches below the hilt you spot, “G. Bo…” You rub the verdigris and dirt from the surface, “…y…ing…t…” Your heartbeat quickens as your mind races, as you string the letters together. You clear the last bits of the loose filth to see the remaining letters, “…o…n.” Your mind screams, “G. BOYINGTON!!!…this is Pappy Boyington’s sword!!”
Major Greg “Pappy” Boyington during World War II.
Fortunately for historians and the Boyington family, this did happen. One of the family’s friends found and purchased Medal of Honor Recipient, Major Gregory “Pappy” Boyington’s Mameluke at a garage sale and gave it to his son, Greg Boyington, Jr. A few years ago, Boyington Jr. donated the sword (along some of the ace’s other personal belongings) to the legendary aviator’s squadron, Yuma, Arizona-based VMA-214. The Blacksheep now have the sword safely on display along with a handful of Boyington’s personal militaria. Personally, I would have had a difficult time letting go of such an important piece of history
The Veteran's Collection 