Cream cloth binding with black title on the front boad. Repaired spine.

We provide an in-depth photographic presentation of this item to stimulate your feeling and touch. More traditional book descriptions are immediately available. 

•  Note: This book carries a £5.00 discount to those that subscribe to the F.B.A. mailing list

Please view our photographs.This is a nicely restored First Edition. “King Albert’s Book” is a historically significant First World War charity anthology published in 1914 by The Daily Telegraph (in conjunction with Hodder & Stoughton). Organised by novelist Hall Caine, it was created as a Christmas fundraising initiative to support the Daily Telegraph Belgian Fund for refugees following the German invasion of Belgium. 

Book Specifications

• Title: King Albert’s Book: A Tribute to the Belgian King and People from Representative Men and Women Throughout the World
• Publication Date: Christmas 1914
• Publisher: The Daily Telegraph, London
• Language: English
• Dimensions: Approximately 9.2″ x 11.6″ x 1.2″ (Quarto format)
• Cover: Typically bound in a cream or white cloth cover with dark green decorative stamping and gilt accents. 

Content & Cultural Importance

The book represents a massive effort of wartime solidarity, gathering morale-boosting submissions from some of the most influential political, literary, artistic, and musical figures of the early 20th century. 

• Literary & Political Contributions: Features prose, poetry, and letters from leaders like Winston Churchill and Lord Kitchener, alongside iconic authors including Rudyard Kipling, Thomas Hardy, Jack London, and Edith Wharton. 
• Musical Scores: Includes printed compositions from world-renowned composers like Claude Debussy and Edward Elgar. 
• Artistic Masterpieces: Highly prized by collectors for its stunning tipped-in colour plates by Golden Age illustrators, most notably Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, Kay Nielsen, and Maxfield Parrish. 

Condition Context: “Good”

In antiquarian book terms according to standards used on sites like eBay and AbeBooks, a rating of “Good” means the book is complete but shows obvious signs of its age. Because this volume used heavy paper stock and tipped-in artwork plates, common flaws for a “Good” copy include: 

• Aging, tanning, or minor spotting (foxing) on the pages.
• Soiling or minor staining to the light-coloured cream cloth boards.
• Minor loosening of some of the artwork plates, though they should all still be present. 

The current retail market value for a First Edition copy of “King Albert’s Book” in Good condition typically ranges from £20 to £50.

Current Marketplace Pricing

• Online Book Dealers: On sites like AbeBooks.co.uk or high-street secondhand retailers like Oxfam GB, copies in similar “Good” condition are currently priced between £50 and £60.
• Casual Marketplaces: On platforms such as eBay or Etsy, you can find everyday copies starting around £25 to £35.
• Auctions: Standard trade copies at local UK auction houses generally see hammer prices between £15 and £20. 

Why the Value Remains Modest

Despite its age and the inclusion of incredible historical figures (like Winston Churchill) and highly popular artists (like Arthur Rackham), this book does not command an extremely high price. Because it was printed as a mass-production Christmas fundraising initiative for the wartime Belgian Fund, hundreds of thousands of copies were printed in late 1914. It is still a very common book to find in secondhand shops today. 

Key Factors Affecting Your Book’s Exact Value

To narrow down where your copy falls on this scale, check the following:

• The 16 Tipped-In Plates: Open the book and verify that all 16 colour illustration plates are present and intact. A single missing plate significantly drops the value.
• Tissue Guards: The front portrait of King Albert should ideally have its original transparent tissue guard over it. 
• Cloth Cover Staining: Because the cover cloth is a light cream colour, it easily attracts dust and finger marks. A clean, bright cover sits at the top end of the valuation, while heavy staining pushes it to the bottom.