Henri Charles-Lavauzelle

Rare pre-first edition offprint of Charles de Gaulle's article Les Origines de l'armée française, published in issue 520 of the Revue d'Infanterie in January 1936. This 44-page text will be entirely reprinted two years later as the first chapter of his celebrated work La France et son armée, published by Plon in 1938. Our copy is enriched with an autograph inscription signed by the author "to M. Jean Auburtin": "With profound and faithful friendship. C. de Gaulle."

Blue wrappers slightly sunned at extremities, spine and upper joint rebacked, minor losses to spine, vertical crease probably from mailing, old creases to upper right corners, some ink stains on lower wrapper, old stamp affixed and partially torn on same wrapper.

First and only edition, illustrated in the first volume with 9 folding plates and 4 large maps at the end; and in the second volume with in-text figures and 10 folding maps at the end (numbered 10–19 as a continuation of the first volume).

A few minor spots, not affecting the text; handwritten ownership inscriptions in the upper left corners of the front covers.

The work, complete in two volumes (I. With 9 plates out of text. – II. The March to Battle. The Battle. The Engagement), is regarded as the most thorough strategic and tactical study of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905.

Émilien-Victor, known as Emile Cordonnier (1858–1936), then a colonel of infantry, served during the First World War as commander of the French Army of the Orient, operating from headquarters in Salonika from 1915 to 1918.