Yunge — How to Be a Hero

London, The Cresset Press, 1938. First edition. Cloth. A very scarce first edition of this charming illustrated poem by Yunge. A charming first edition of this illustrated poem by Yunge, published in 1938. A very scarce copy, rarely found on the market. The poem follows the life of a marionette from his birth until his death. As he goes through life, he is inspired by political events going on around the time. He soon becomes a soldier and eventually dies "And so the Hero ends against a wall / A life that's not heroic after all." A witty denunciation of societal pressure and war, published upon the dawn of the beginning of the Second World War. This poem is fully illustrated throughout.  In the original publisher's cloth binding. Externally very smart with only minor shelf wear and some minor bumping to the head and tail of the spine, which has slightly darkened. Internally firmly bound. Page 13-4 has suffered a minor loss to the lower right corner, the remains are loose but present and loosely inserted in the volume. The pages are bright and clean. Fully illustrated to the recto. Very Good . Ill.: Yunge. Very Good .