THE BRITISH CAMPAIGNS IN EUROPE 1914-1918 (Presentation copy from the author)

First one-volume edition: xii, 1008 pages followed by 4 pages of publisher's catalogue, 44 maps and plans - some folding,  original purple sand-grained cloth titled gilt on the spine, ruled border in blind on the upper cover, light foxing on the preliminary and final pages, a very good copy in the dust jacket ruled in red and tilted in black which is fraying at the top and bottom of the spine and corners.

Presentation inscription on the title page; 'With every kind wish to my good adviser Dr. Erasmus Ellis from Arthur Conan Doyle, Dec. 31st 1928.'

Green (R.L.) and Gibson (J.M.) A Bibliography of A. Conan Doyle, new revised and expanded edition, Hudson House, London 2000, B21d., page 293, 'Published November 1928: 5,500 copies. 10/6.'

Dr. Leonard Erasmus Ellis (commonly known as Dr. Erasmus Ellis), was a prominent 20th-century South African physician and radiologist. Rather than a formal political or literary advisor, his connection to the author comes from being Arthur Conan Doyle's personal physician during a trip to South Africa. In Our African Winter, a book written by Arthur Conan Doyle and first published by John Murray on 9 September 1929, Conan Doyle writes: 'To-day, New Year's Day, we enjoyed the hospitality of Dr. Erasmus Ellis and his charming wife. Dr. Ellis is one of the leading physicians, and I can speak with knowledge of his powers, for I am a grateful patient.'  Beyond his encounter with the famous author, Dr. Ellis had a distinguished medical career in South Africa, specializing in radiology and dermatology, and was later elected as an Honorary Life Member of the Medical Association of South Africa.

The book highlights the prolonged stalemate on the Western Front, characterised by costly offensives with limited gains. It describes significant engagements such as the Third Battle of Ypres, where heavy British losses were incurred, and the innovative Battle of Cambrai, which demonstrated the potential of massed tank assaults. The narrative also touches upon the command challenges faced by leaders like Sir Douglas Haig and John French, 1st earl of Ypres, and the difficult conditions endured by soldiers in the trenches.