TREATISE ON
SERVICE ORDNANCE
(1900)
War Office
Fifth Edition
H.M.S.O., London, 1900
printed by Harrison and Sons, London, January 1901
The very rare fifth edition of the official War Office Ordnance handbook, Treatise on Service Ordnance, published in 1900. This huge volume (669 pages) is very well illustrated with numerous colour plates showing the British Army’s artillery weapons and their mechanisms. The book is a detailed and comprehensive guide to the various types of artillery weapons in use at the time, including B.L. guns, Q.F. guns, R.M.L. Guns, howitzers, aiming rifles, etc. There are more than 120 highly detailed colour plates, showing gun barrels, breech mechanisms, extractors, firing mechanisms, aiming and sighting devices, plus many other line drawings showing tools, mechanisms, sights, etc. For anyone interested in the ordnance, artillery and guns of the British Armed forces just before the First World War, this is an invaluable reference work, and one of the best illustrated records of WW1 British ordnance.
Condition:
In good condition. The boards are in good condition, with general signs of wear and use, wear to the edges of the spine, bumped corners, and some marks. The binding and hinges are good and secure, the hinges having been reinforced with archival paper tape. There are some sticker removal marks and wear to the front endpapers. The text, colour plates and illustrations are in very good condition, with some small library ink stamps, and a few minor marks.
Published: 1900 (this edition printed 1901)
Red boards with gilt titling
Illustrated with over 120 coloured plates, plus b/w illustrations
Dimensions: 160mm x 245mm
Pages: 669
