DESERT RAT
SKETCH BOOK
Clifford Saber
SKETCHBOOK PRESS, New York, 1959
‘As a war artist Cliff Saber did it the hard way. He did it because he wanted to do it. He did it with honesty and he did it with skill. These pictures were made of more than paint and paper. They were created from more important materials: a sensitive eye, a stout heart, and a steady hand.’ Tom Lea
A unique first-hand illustrated record of the 8th Army and the WW2 North African campaign. Desert Rat Sketch Book is an excellent large format (260 x 360mm) collection of paintings with accompanying text covering the Desert Rat’s campaign in North Africa 1942-43. Written and painted on the spot by Clifford Saber, it is superbly illustrated throughout, with coloured maps on the endpapers, and over 100 full colour paintings and sketches by the author. Some of Saber’s paintings are very reminiscent of the work of the poet Keith Douglas, also created during the North African campaign, and reproduced in his classic memoir From Alamein To Zem Zem.
Clifford Saber was a volunteer American ambulance driver with the British 8th Army. He served on the frontline in the North African desert for 10 months, until he was severly wounded in the head by shrapnel at the Mareth Line in March 1943. He recovered and returned to the USA. During his time at the front Saber had made a graphic record of what he saw, and the paintings he produced in the field were published in 1959 as the Desert Rat Sketch Book.
Condition:
In very good condition. The slipcase is in good condition, structurally very sound, with wear to the edges, fading, and some marks. The boards are in very good condition, with a few marks. The binding and hinges are very good and secure. The text and illustrations are in excellent condition.
Published: 1959
Yellow boards, gilt titling, with slipcase
Dimensions: 260mm x 360xmm
Pages: 187
Weight: 2.5kg (before packing)
***I have several other WW2 books and maps listed at the moment. Combined postage is available***
Please email if you require any further information