A Collection of Works by Ian Hay, mostly first editions, 1911-1941

Ian Hay was the pen name of John Hay Beith (1876-1922), British schoolmaster, soldier, novelist, playwright and historian. His humorous account of army life in 'The First Hundred Thousand' became a bestselling book - based on articles he had originally written for 'Blackwood's Magazine'. He himself was one of the first 100,000 to join the army for the First World War, and serving in France in 1915.

This collection comprises:

A Safety Match, 1911, First edition, 2nd impression, viii + 323pp + 64pp Publishers ads;

The First Hundred Thousand; Being the Unofficial Chronicle of a Unit of "K(I)". 1915 First edition, vi + 342pp + 2pp Publishers ads;

Carrying On - After The First Hundred Thousand, 1917 First edition, ix + 316pp;

The Lucky Number, Undated, but 1923, Presumed first edition, 320pp;

Paid with Thanks. May 1937 Reprint (following 1925 first edition), 320pp;

The Midshipmaid; The Tale of a Naval Manoeuvre, January 1933 First edition, viii + 9-320pp;

Little Ladyship; June 1941 First edition, 254pp + 2pp Publishers ads. 

The first three books up until 1915 published by William Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh and London. The following four books published by Hodder and Stoughton Ltd, London.

A good set of blue cloth hardbacks. Light wear and rubbing with a few marks. Text is clean and bright, and soundly bound. Occasional flaw such as offsetting to endpapers, minor spotting to edge of text block, and a few owner's names in pencil, but a good collection overall.

Text in English.

Approximate dimensions: Each volume 190mm high x 133mm wide x 30-40mm deep.

Weighs approximately 2.85kg (the set - unpacked).