THE SNOW GOOSE. By Paul Gallico. Illustrations by Peter Scott.

(1941) 1948 reprint. 4to (182 x 251mm). Pp55. B/w and colour illustrations by Peter Scott. White goose motif to blue cloth, spine titled in white.

The classic story of a snow goose and its involvement with the days of Dunkirk. Originally published as a short story in 1940 in The Saturday Evening Post before being expanded and published in book form in 1941. The central character, Philip Rhayader, was loosely based on Peter Scott who provided the illustrations for many of the editions from 1946 onwards. The book won the 1941 O. Henry Prize but received some criticism for being overly sentimental. Gallico made no apologies, saying that in the contest between sentiment and 'slime', "sentiment remains so far out in front, as it always has and always will among ordinary humans, that the calamity-howlers and porn merchants have to increase the decibels of their lamentations, the hideousness of their violence and the mountainous piles of their filth to keep in the race at all." The book went on to great success and was adapted several times for film and radio and even inspired the 1975 album, Music Inspired by The Snow Goose, by prog rock band, Camel.