A Map of Verona

A SIGNED PRESENTATION COPY TO DAVID LOW, WITH THE AUTHOR'S HOLOGRAPH INSCRIPTION DATED 1947 ON FRONT FREE ENDPAPER. This scarce collection (the author's first book and sole collection of verse) contains the structured poem 'Lessons of War', Part I of which, 'Naming of Parts', is arguably the most famous poem to emerge from WWII. It also contains the famous T S Eliot parody 'Chard Whitlow'. PRESENTATION COPIES ARE EXCEEDINGLY SCARCE. THIS ONE IS TO DAVID LOW, LEADING BRITISH POLITICAL CARTOONIST AND CREATOR OF 'COLONEL BLIMP'. A New Zealander by birth, Sir David Low (1919-1963) arrived in Britain in 1919 to progress his fledgling career as a political illustrator. In his early years in Britain he worked with a variety of publications including the 'Star', 'New Statesmen', 'Punch' and 'The Graphic'. In 1927 he was invited by Lord Beaverbrook to join London's 'Evening Standard' and the rest is history. A staunch anti-fascist, Low used the scaithing and incisive poweer of his cartoons to attack the complacency of the British establishment in the 30s; in 1934 he created in Colonel Blimp' one of the most famous figures in newspaper cartoon history. His work was swiftly banned in both Germany and Italy and after the outbreak of war several of his cartoons were used to inspire the British people during the darker days at the beginning of the conlfict. Low was appointed an official War Artist and as such attended the Nuremberg War Trials. He was knighted in 1962. Many of Low's cartoons were published in book form, the most famous collections being 'Low's Political Parade with Colonel Blimp (1936) and 'Europe at War' (1941). His most famous character was the basis of 'The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp' (Powell & Pressburger, 1936), one of the most important feature films in the history of British cinema. A UNIQUE AND PARTICULARLY APPROPRIATE ASSOCIATION COPY IN THE CONTEXT OF WWII.