H.M.A.S. COMPLETE FOUR-VOLUME SERIES - ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY HISTORY CIRCA 1953-1955

A SIGNIFICANT DOCUMENTARY SERIES CHRONICLING THE HISTORY AND OPERATIONS OF THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY DURING THE MID-TWENTIETH CENTURY. THIS COMPLETE SET COMPRISES ALL FOUR VOLUMES: H.M.A.S. (FIRST BOOK), H.M.A.S. MK II (THE R.A.N.'S SECOND BOOK), H.M.A.S. MK III (THE R.A.N.'S THIRD BOOK), AND H.M.A.S. MK IV (THE R.A.N.'S FOURTH BOOK).

PUBLICATION DETAILS:
- PUBLISHER: HALSTEAD PRESS PTY LIMITED, SYDNEY
- DATE: 1953-1955
- FORMAT: CLOTH BOARDS WITH COLOUR LITHOGRAPHED DUST JACKETS
- BINDING: PROFESSIONAL HARDCOVER BINDING
- REGISTRATION: REGISTERED IN AUSTRALIA FOR TRANSMISSION THROUGH THE POST AS A BOOK

CONTENT AND SIGNIFICANCE:
EACH VOLUME FEATURES DISTINCTIVE COVER ARTWORK INCORPORATING THE UNION JACK AND NAVAL IMAGERY, REFLECTING POST-WAR AUSTRALIAN NAVAL PRIDE AND DOCUMENTATION. THE SERIES REPRESENTS AN IMPORTANT CONTEMPORARY RECORD OF ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY VESSELS, PERSONNEL, AND OPERATIONS DURING THE EARLY COLD WAR PERIOD. THE PROGRESSIVE NUMBERING AND SEQUENTIAL PUBLICATION INDICATES THIS WAS AN ONGOING DOCUMENTARY PROJECT CAPTURING THE EVOLVING NAVAL SERVICE.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
- VOLUME 1 (H.M.A.S.): CREAM CLOTH WITH ILLUSTRATED DUST JACKET FEATURING SERVICEMAN WITH BINOCULARS
- VOLUME 2 (MK II): RED CLOTH WITH NAVAL FLAG IMAGERY ON DUST JACKET
- VOLUME 3 (MK III): PALE BLUE-GREY CLOTH WITH SHIP AND FLAG DESIGN
- VOLUME 4 (MK IV): ORANGE CLOTH WITH AIRCRAFT AND NAVAL VESSEL IMAGERY

CONDITION ASSESSMENT:
ALL FOUR VOLUMES ARE COMPLETE AND STRUCTURALLY SOUND. DUST JACKETS SHOW TYPICAL AGE-RELATED FADING AND COLOUR LOSS, PARTICULARLY TO THE RED AND ORANGE EXAMPLES. MINOR CREASING AND EDGE WEAR TO DUST JACKETS IS CONSISTENT WITH HANDLING AND STORAGE OVER SEVEN DECADES. CLOTH BOARDS REMAIN FIRM WITH NO SPLITTING OR DELAMINATION. SPINES ARE INTACT AND LEGIBLE. TEXT BLOCKS ARE CLEAN WITH NO SIGNIFICANT FOXING OR STAINING. PAGES REMAIN CRISP AND READABLE THROUGHOUT.

PROVENANCE:
AUSTRALIAN PRIVATE COLLECTION. THESE VOLUMES REPRESENT AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENTARY SERIES ON AUSTRALIAN NAVAL HISTORY AND WOULD APPEAL TO MILITARY HISTORY COLLECTORS, AUSTRALIAN NAVAL ENTHUSIASTS, AND RESEARCHERS OF POST-WAR COMMONWEALTH DEFENCE DOCUMENTATION.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
PUBLISHED DURING THE EARLY COLD WAR PERIOD, THIS SERIES DOCUMENTS THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY DURING A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF MODERNISATION AND STRATEGIC REPOSITIONING FOLLOWING WORLD WAR II. THE SEQUENTIAL PUBLICATION ACROSS MULTIPLE YEARS SUGGESTS THESE WERE POPULAR REFERENCE WORKS IN AUSTRALIAN HOMES AND INSTITUTIONS DURING THE 1950S.

Item Size: Height: 27cm, Width: 22cm, Depth: 9cm, Weight: 4Kg

Condition: Good - Refer To Images

TOORMINA
548799+9

Location of item: 9 Hi-Tech Drive, Toormina, NSW, Australia

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