Camillo Ricchiardi: Italian Boer War Hero Author: Mario Lupini
Camillo Ricchiardi: Italian Boer War Hero (Collectible Signed & Numbered Limited Edition)
The Fascinating Biography of the Legendary Italian Volunteer Commander, Issued in an Elite Deluxe Presentation Volume
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Camillo Ricchiardi: Italian Boer War Hero
- Author: Mario Lupini
- Publisher: Scripta Africana, Melville, Johannesburg
- Publication Date: 1988
- ISBN-10: 0947025480
- ISBN-13: 9780947025489
- Edition Details: Scripta Africana Series Deluxe Collectors Edition. First Edition. Number 466 of only 1,000 numbered copies, hand-numbered and signed by the Director and Chairman, Hans Strydom, on the official limitation certificate page.
- Binding: Original publisher’s elite deluxe full leather binding, featuring ornate gilt borders, raised bands, and gold spine detailing, housed in the original matching red presentation slipcase.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 254 pages. Beautifully enhanced with rare archival photographic plates, historical maps, documented field reports, and specialized research appendices.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Exterior / Leather Binding: The luxurious full-leather spine and covers are in a wonderful, well-preserved state, maintaining bright, highly reflective gold gilt lettering and detailed obverse relief layout elements. The raised bands are sharp and unworn, showing excellent structural stability and superb shelf presentation.
o Interior: The internal text block is exceptionally tight, white, and clean. All heavy-stock paper surfaces, photographic inserts, and map profiles remain completely crisp, unblemished, and entirely free of user annotations, ink highlighting, common library stamps, or foxing.
o Provenance: Features the clean, authentic ink signature of Director Hans Strydom alongside the hand-written designation "466" on the official tipped-in limitation certificate. -
The Slipcase: Very Good (VG)
o Condition: The original matching heavy-card protective slipcase is sturdy, structurally sound, and completely intact. It exhibits only standard, expected shelf wear and light handling-related chafing on the flat panels, entirely consistent with careful archival storage.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1988 as a highly prized addition to the elite Scripta Africana subscription library, Camillo Ricchiardi: Italian Boer War Hero tells the riveting, deeply researched story of the charismatic Italian adventurer who left Europe to champion the Republican cause. Written by Mario Lupini, the biography reconstructs Count Ricchiardi's life, from his early military service in the Italian cavalry to his brilliant leadership of the Italian Volunteer Scout Corps (Italianse Verkenners) on the South African veld. Ricchiardi became an absolute legend among the forces for his tactical daring, his close operational collaboration with General Louis Botha, and his role in major actions along the Tugela front. He further cemented his place in local history by marrying Myra de Reuck, a granddaughter of President Paul Kruger, in Pretoria during the height of the conflict. This beautiful deluxe printing captures the deep international dimension of the conflict, making it a critical centerpiece for serious military historians and advanced collectors of rare fine bindings.
Published in 1988 as a highly prized addition to the elite Scripta Africana subscription library, Camillo Ricchiardi: Italian Boer War Hero tells the riveting, deeply researched story of the charismatic Italian adventurer who left Europe to champion the Republican cause. Written by Mario Lupini, the biography reconstructs Count Ricchiardi's life, from his early military service in the Italian cavalry to his brilliant leadership of the Italian Volunteer Scout Corps (Italianse Verkenners) on the South African veld. Ricchiardi became an absolute legend among the forces for his tactical daring, his close operational collaboration with General Louis Botha, and his role in major actions along the Tugela front. He further cemented his place in local history by marrying Myra de Reuck, a granddaughter of President Paul Kruger, in Pretoria during the height of the conflict. This beautiful deluxe printing captures the deep international dimension of the conflict, making it a critical centerpiece for serious military historians and advanced collectors of rare fine bindings.
Author Profile: Mario Lupini
Mario Lupini was a meticulous South African researcher, scholar, and authority on the historical contributions of the Italian diaspora in Southern Africa. Combining a deep understanding of European military traditions with painstaking research into private South African and Italian national archives, Lupini spent years reconstructing the lives of foreign volunteers. His scholarship is widely respected by modern academics for providing an objective, deeply human perspective on the complex global networks that shaped the frontline history of the Anglo-Boer War.
Mario Lupini was a meticulous South African researcher, scholar, and authority on the historical contributions of the Italian diaspora in Southern Africa. Combining a deep understanding of European military traditions with painstaking research into private South African and Italian national archives, Lupini spent years reconstructing the lives of foreign volunteers. His scholarship is widely respected by modern academics for providing an objective, deeply human perspective on the complex global networks that shaped the frontline history of the Anglo-Boer War.
collectible book mario lupini scripta africana limited edition signed hans strydom camillo ricchiardi italian boer war hero volunteer corps foreign scouts rare book full leather 1988 used copy red slipcase matching number counting counts republicans
