In common with a lot of people I have an attachment to old Penguin Books. The covers and contents strike a cord with many of us who have read and enjoyed them over the years, so I was pleased to recently unearth a battered copy of book number 1000, One Of Our Submarines by Edward Young, Commander, D.S.O., D.S.C., R.N.V. (S.) R.
To the rear of the book is an advertisement for book 100, which is described as follows. 'In 1937 Penguin 100 was published and like Penguin 1000 it was also a magnificent story of human endeavour'. I mention this only to show the importance of the book, although this is not to take anything away from the autobiographical work itself.
Inside the book I discovered a newspaper clipping which is an obituary of the author from 2003, which includes a mention of the book and the fact that Commander Teddy Young was the first RNVR officer to command a submarine during the war. His wartime exploits included surviving a sinking and considerable service in the Far East, certainly he was a successful and brave military man, which his DSO and DSC show.
However one other interesting mention in the article was his part in designing the first covers for Penguin Books. A quick bit of research revealed that he was not only responsible for the three band design of the covers, but was also sent to London Zoo, to sketch the Penguins for the cover picture.
So it would appear that Penguin Book 1000 was special for several reasons, including the amazing life of the author and his close links with the brand.
Andy
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