CHACK (Paul), The Prodigious Battles of the Bailiff of Suffr - Lot 106

CHACK (Paul), The Prodigious Battles of the Bailiff of Suffren. Paris, Ligue maritime et coloniale, 1944. Large quarto, loose-leaf volume with illustrated endpapers. An elegant bibliophile edition dedicated to one of the most prestigious figures in French maritime history: Pierre André de Suffren de Saint-Tropez (1729–1788), the famous Bailiff of the Order of Malta and one of the greatest naval tacticians of his time. In this compelling account, Paul Chack brings to life the heroic campaigns led by Suffren in the Indian Ocean against the British navy during the American War of Independence. A naval officer turned writer, Paul Chack established himself as one of the finest maritime historians and storytellers of the early 20th century. His lively and well-researched style vividly recreates the naval battles, the long voyages, the challenges of sailing, and the exceptional personality of Suffren, a daring sailor whose victories helped restore the prestige of the French navy. The illustrations—comprising maps, historical documents, and engraved decorative compositions—complement the text beautifully and reinforce the book’s historical character. The map reproductions, in particular, allow readers to trace the naval operations in distant seas where the French squadrons distinguished themselves. The print run was limited to 505 copies, including 5 on Imperial Japan paper and 485 on Madagascar paper. This copy, numbered 433, belongs to the Madagascar paper edition. A very fine copy preserved in its original presentation, as loose-leaf pages bound in an illustrated, padded cover. The fine papers of this edition are sought after by maritime history enthusiasts and bibliophiles specializing in naval accounts. A beautiful collector’s edition dedicated to the most famous French sailor of the 18th century, written by one of the great maritime writers of the 20th century.