1889 - 1979
Dedicated to the Life and Works of
Ion Llewellyn (Jack) Idriess
Onward Australia (1944)
Developing a Continent
Publishing - 1st edition 1944, 10,000 copies were printed. 2nd edition 1945
Book - Softcover, [x] plus 27- pages
Dust Wrapper - Not priced. Cardboard covers with wrap-around dustwrapper.
TitleVerso - Blank except for “Set up, printed and bound” etc
Guide to Current Values
1st Edition - Very Good $100 - $200.
The Silent Service (1944)
Action stories of the ANZAC Navy, co-authored with Torpedoman T.M. Jones.
Publishing - 1st edition published 1944, 2nd ed 1952 (see below). No other printings.
Book - Light-blue boards with dark-blue lettering to spine. 338 pages, map endpaper.
Dust Wrapper - Not priced.
TitleVerso - Blank except for “Set up, printed and bound” etc
Guide to Current Values
1st Edition - Very Good (no DW) $50 - $75. VG in a VG DW $80 - $130.
The Silent Service (1952)
This book contains additional stories to the 1944 version and is considered an additional book amongst Idriess collectors. It has an authors note to the second edition followed by an authors note to the first edition.
Dust Wrapper - Priced at 21s. Different DW to 1944 version with a photo of a destroyer on the front.
TitleVerso - "First Published 1944, Second Edition Revised and Enlarged 1952"
Guide to Current Values
2nd Edition - Very Good (no DW) $40 - $60. VG in a VG DW $60 - $90.
Horrie the Wog Dog (1945)
With the A.I.F. in Egypt, Greece, Crete and Palestine.
Publishing - 1st edition published June 1945, 2nd ed Feb 1948, 3d ed Sept 1948
A USA edition titled 'Dog of the Desert' was also published in 1945 by the Bobbs-Merrill Co. 247 pages, with frontispiece and five black/white photographic plates with red cloth boards and gilt lettering on spine and front cover, and a DW price of $2.50. The title verso states “COPYRIGHT, 1945, BY ION L. IDRIESS, PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, FIRST EDITION”. There has been much discussion around whether this is the true first edition of this book, but it is not.
Book - Grey cloth boards with lettering to spine only. [x] plus 232 pages, with frontspiece and 16 black/white photographic plates.
Dust Wrapper - Not Priced. Important: The first state DW has a "Buy War Savings Certificates" picture on the back of the jacket. There are some 1st editions with a second state DW.
TitleVerso - Blank except for “Set up, printed and bound” etc
Guide to Current Values
1st Edition - Very Good (no DW) $100 - $200. VG in a VG DW $200 - $350.
2nd Edition - Very Good (no DW) $50 - $80. VG in a VG DW $80 - $130.
1st Ed (Dog of the Desert) - VG (no DW) $100-$200. VG in a VG DW $350 - $600
In Crocodile Land (1946)
Wandering in Northern Australia.
Publishing - 1st edition published 1946, 2nd ed 1947, 3rd ed 1948.
Book - Grey cloth, turquoise lettering on spine, turquoise crocodile design on front cover. 241 pages with black and white photos.
Dust Wrapper - Priced at 8s. 6d.
TitleVerso - Blank except for “Set up, printed and bound” etc
Guide to Current Values
1st Edition - Very Good (no DW) $25- $50. VG in a VG DW $70 - $100.
Isles of Despair (1947)
The true story of Barbara Thomson, sole survivor of a shipwreck in which her husband drowned, who was claimed by members of a Coral Sea islands tribe to be the deceased daughter of their chief returned to the world.
Publishing - 1st edition published 1947, 2nd ed 1949, 3rd ed 1950.
Book - Orange cloth with black lettering to spine. 251pages, with black and white photographs.
Dust Wrapper - Priced at 9s. 6d.
TitleVerso - Blank except for “Set up, printed and bound” etc
Guide to Current Values
1st Edition - Very Good (no DW) $40 - $60. VG in a VG DW $75 - $125
The Opium Smugglers (1948)
A True Story of Our Northern Seas
How true is this story? Read an article about this here
Publishing - 1st edition published 1948, 2nd ed 1951, 3rd ed 1957
Book - Fawn cloth with shell design to front cover and brown lettering to spine.
273 pages, endpapers have the 'Map showing Cruise of the Nancy Bell'.
Dust Wrapper - Priced at 7s. 6d. The rear describes The Great Trek priced at 7s.6d.
TitleVerso - Blank except for “Set up, printed and bound” etc
Guide to Current Values
1st Edition - Very Good (no DW) $75 - $125. VG in a VG DW $200 - $300