Catherine Ives [Doris Ives Smith] — Good Meals for Hard Times

London, Duckworth, 1940. First edition. Cloth. A very scarce copy of this economic wartime cookery book from Catherine Ives, complete with the original unclipped dust wrapper. First edition. A very scarce copy of this World War II cookery book, which places emphasis on economy and cheerfulness at a time when rationing had just begun. With the original unclipped dust wrapper. Written by Catherine Ives, which was the pen name of British writer Doris Ives Smith, who states in her introduction "no one knows yet how many foodstuffs may have to be rationed or what the amount of those rations may be" and that "Economy is essential from every angle". This is one of the two well-known cookbooks by Ives, the other being 'When the Cook is Away' (1928). The volume offered here is the more scarce of the two. Recipes are offered here alongside general guidance for getting the most out of ingredients and which luxuries cannot be afforded, such as the overuse of eggs. In the original cloth binding. With the original unclipped dust wrapper. Externally, very smart, with light fading and bumping to the spine head and tail. Dust wrapper is sunned to the spine and chipped to the head of the spine and rear panel. With minor edge wear to the remainder of the wrap and a few scattered spots. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are generally bright and clean, with minor offsetting to the endpapers and the odd light spotting concentrated towards the first few leaves. Very Good Indeed . Ill.: None. Very Good Indeed/Very Good.