Nor Any Victory (1942)
Rare First Edition of This 1942 Memoir of World War II in the Balkans by a New York Times Correspondent
Brock, Ray. Nor Any Victory. New York: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1942.
Octavo. Hardcover. 1st Edition.
First edition of a newspaper correspondent's account of watching World War II break out in the Balkans, including in Yugoslavia, Greece, and Romania. At the beginning of his career, newspaperman Ray Brock stumbled onto a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with the New York Times. The Times sent him to Belgrade as a correspondent, which he arrived at in time for the Italian attack on Greece and the German invasion of Romania. He returned to Yugoslavia in time to see the beginning sparks of their heroic resistance. After he escaped to Turkey, he sent in this manuscript telling of his fascinating (and, yes, exciting) experiences in the Balkans. Brock remains a valuable first-person source on World War II in the Balkans. Interestingly, Brock was a friend of Ernest Hemingway (little surprise given their shared taste for risk-taking); the two carried on correspondence now kept at the Kennedy Library. Evidence of bookplate removal. Book fine, dust jacket with only light wear and toning to extremities. A near-fine copy.