Copyright Details

Your book shows:

• No copyright date on the title page (common for Grosset & Dunlap reprints)

• Promotional list in the back referencing other Houghton Mifflin titles by Ian Hay

• Frontispiece portrait of Major Ian Hay Beith

Grosset & Dunlap typically printed under arrangement with the original publisher but did not always reprint copyright lines, which aligns with the copy shown.

This is most likely a 1915–1920s reprint, issued soon after the novel’s wartime popularity.

📘 Book History

The First Hundred Thousand became one of the earliest and most widely read British accounts of World War I. Written by Ian Hay (Major John Hay Beith), it recounts the formation, training, and battlefield experiences of the first wave of Kitchener’s volunteer army (“K1”).

Key themes and importance:

• First-hand observations from early WWI volunteer units

• Blends humor with realism, making it one of the most accessible WWI memoirs

• Helped shape wartime morale, particularly in Britain and America

• Frequently reprinted during WWI due to strong demand

• Became foundational in the genre of soldiers’ memoirs and informal military chronicles

Grosset & Dunlap capitalized on the book’s immense popularity, producing affordable copies for a mass readership.

📚 Description of Contents

This edition includes:

• Full text of The First Hundred Thousand

• A frontispiece portrait of Major Ian Hay Beith

• Simple Grosset & Dunlap typography

• Promotional list of other Ian Hay titles

• Standard wartime/inexpensive paper stock

• No illustrations beyond the frontispiece

No dust jacket is present in the images, which is typical for surviving copies.

📦 Physical Condition

Covers

• Black cloth boards with gilt titles and “K1” emblem

• Considerable rubbing, scuffing, and spotting

• Spine faded, with corner and edge wear

• Gilt titling still visible

Interior

• Noticeable foxing and page toning (consistent with age)

• Title page edges slightly browned

• Frontispiece intact

• Binding appears complete but shows age-related wear

Overall condition: Good− to Fair+, typical for an early Grosset & Dunlap military title.

⭐ Special Features

• Early WWI-era reprint of a highly influential soldiers’ memoir

• Includes original portrait of the author as frontispiece

• “K1” cover design evokes the identity of the volunteer army unit

• Once widely read by both soldiers and civilians during the war

• Historically interesting but not a scarce edition

Collectors generally pursue:

• First editions (Houghton Mifflin, 1915)

• Dust-jacketed copies

• Presentation or association copies

• UK first printings (William Blackwood & Sons)

Your copy is desirable mainly as an early reprint and as a WWI period relic.