The Angel of Mons : David Clarke 2004
$25
In stock
Description
First Edition of the Best Single Book on The Angels of Mons Legend, The Angel of Mons by David Clarke
Clarke, David. The Angels of Mons: Phantom Soldiers and Ghostly Encounters. John Wiley and Sons. Sussex, UK. 2004. First Edition.
First edition copy of the definitive book on “The Angel” or “Angels of Mons” and related legends of angelic or ghostly warriors appearing on the battlefields of World War I. A fascinating piece of modern mythology, Clarke expertly tracks the actual history of the 1914 Battle of Mons alongside the spread and influence of Arthur Machen’s The Bowmen, which it inspired. Clarke seeks to establish the connection between Machen’s story of phantom Agincourt archers helping WWI soldiers and efforts to spread goodwill and supernatural support for the war effort, citing both potential religious and government propaganda motives for misrepresenting Machen’s story as fact (all this and more features in Ellipsis Rare Books proprietor Andrew Lenoir’s essay on The Angels of Mons featured in Arthur Machen: Critical Essays from 2021 which used this book as a source).
278pp. Indigo cloth boards. Corners bumped. Small stain to textblock fore edge. Ribbed pastedowns and endpapers. Includes 8 plates of photographs. Original glossy dustjacket with wear to edge. Small splitting at top back spine joint and fore folds. Very good in good.
If you liked this book, you might also enjoy this first edition of William Rider and Son’s short chapbook on 17th century paranormal investigator Joseph Glanvill, or this first edition copy of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s History of Spiritualism owned by a prominent turn of the century painter.
