When the original Tobacco War Booklet was published in 1951 it broke new ground in terms of the research work published by the Cartophilic Society. Previously the Society had concentrated on listings of cards issued by UK tobacco manufacturers and there must have been some that wondered about the relevance of this particular volume. Even now there may be doubts in collectors’ minds as to what this reference book is all about and some explanation as to why it was needed may be useful.

Because it has been out of print for so many years a number of collectors may not be aware that US issues of cards were listed and classified in the American Card Catalog (ACC) compiled by the late Jefferson Burdick. The Society did not want to duplicate this work but because the ACC did not cover in any depth the cards issued by the American Tobacco Company (ATC) overseas during the Tobacco War period of 1901-02 an obvious gap in recorded information existed. The Tobacco War Booklet was planned as the first of a three-part project of which a BAT reference book was the next essential step. This duly appeared but the final; link in the chain, a reference book on the Imperial Tobacco group issues, was overtaken by work on the more ambitious World Index.

The Tobacco War Booklet did not, therefore, cover card issues by the ITC branches or the independent UK companies during the period when the Americans were seeking to control the UK tobacco market. Ogden’s, the main vehicle for this domination, had already has its own reference booklet published with the exception of Guinea Golds, which were the subject of a later booklet. What the Tobacco War Booklet did cover was the profusion of cards issued by the ATC outside the USA between 1890 and 1902-03 plus the first issues of the British-American Tobacco Company, which was formed in 1902. The reason for the inclusion of the latter is that BAT cards were prepared by the ATC with front and back designs comparable to their own former export issues.

Such was the complexity of card issues by the ATC and its associates during this period the Tobacco War Booklet quickly proved to be of value. Some revisions and corrections were published in the BAT Booklet and the various parts of the World Index and now the opportunity has been taken consolidate what we now know in a completely revised reference book. Billed in the introduction as the "first volume of the computer age" it gives us a taste of what we can expect when the World Index is eventually re-published. It has a smart blue hardbound cover and is printed on glossy art paper. With 236 pages and 2,330 cards illustrated it is vastly more comprehensive than its predecessor and the clear type and numbering makes identification so much easier.

As already stated, these card issues are complicated so devising a formula to list them was not easy. The introductory narrative needs to be studied very carefully before embarking on the various sections that make up the book. The Index has been expanded and all alike issues by companies no involved directly in the Tobacco War are now included. The footnotes to the Index are far too faint but otherwise there is very little critical comment I can make. It has been well prepared and printed and is a credit to the Society and the two persons most involved, Martin Murray and Stuart Armistead.

The book is now available from the Reference Book Controller, George Rogers, 24 Island Road, Upstreet, Canterbury, Kent CT3 4DA, at £15.00 to members and £20.00 to non-members. Specialists in cards of this period will obviously need this book, but I would also urge all serious collectors to purchase a copy.

GCH.