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» Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
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» Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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» Topic: I FINALLY GOT ONE!!!!
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All;
Persistence is a virtue!! I finally won a copy of Knights of the Sea off ebay!!!. Serial number:1274
If they keep records of the sales at PTHQ, maybe I can find out who originally owned it.
Take care,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Feb 1, 2014 - 10:04am
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

Treasure your copy Ted. I have Dad's personalized copy that was a later number than yours,complete with the original box it came in. Some things just don't get any better.
Gary

Posted By: Gary Paulsen | Posted on: Feb 1, 2014 - 4:01pm
Total Posts: 249 | Joined: Feb 14, 2009 - 6:31am

Good on ya, Ted

Will

Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Feb 1, 2014 - 4:03pm
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm

My book number is 522, just so you know.
Victor

Victor K Chun

Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Feb 1, 2014 - 5:53pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

106

Will

Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Feb 1, 2014 - 9:31pm
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm

Thanks Guys!
I have been after this book for quite awhile. Even when I first became aware of it, it was already out of print and all copies sold, it still took my local Eastern Shore library 2 months to locate one for library to library loan(I think they borrowed it from a library in the Chicago area), and I only had it for two weeks!

Will,
I have seen Serial number:013 for sale on ebay, this is the lowest number I have ever seen, but I don't know who bought it.
I can't wait until mine gets here!!!
Thanks again.
Take care,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Feb 1, 2014 - 11:08pm
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

Congratulations Ted on your new baby! It is without a doubt one of the best books that every serious PT Boat collector should have in your collection. I am not really too sure just how much difference the serial number makes? Aren't they all identical in every other way? Jerry

Jerry Gilmartin
PT658 Crewman
Portland OR

Posted By: Jerry Gilmartin | Posted on: Feb 2, 2014 - 12:18am
Total Posts: 1472 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm

Congrats Ted! Now that you've got one maybe I'll start looking too. :-)
Dave

David Waples

Posted By: David Waples | Posted on: Feb 2, 2014 - 7:01am
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined: Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm

For some reason I can't remember now, Boats Newberry sent me two books at the time they were printed. One has my name and Squadron numbers embossed on the cover. It is number 451. My son has the other one in his library. The cover is not embossed on it. I will check the number on it.

C. J. Willis

Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: Feb 2, 2014 - 8:44am
Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm

Jerry;
Yes they are all identical, I was just commenting to Will, because his number is a low one.

David;
Good Luck! over the last 5-6 years, this has been a quest for me, I have been sniped 3 times on Ebay at the last moment, and 4 more have been VERY expensively priced, I didn't even bother.

C.J.
Good for you, I wish Boats could have sent two copies to every PT Vet, That way they would have one, and their kids could have another. By the way, how is your latest PT model coming along?
Take care All,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Feb 2, 2014 - 10:08am
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

Mine goes back to PTHQ when I make my last patrol. I'm sure they can find it a good home.

Will

Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Feb 2, 2014 - 10:48am
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm

I have been lucky to have two of them donated to my Exhibit over the years,. They are a wealth of information, although many many PT BOAT VETS never made the book. I love mine though. Congrats Ted, you are now in the same company as Will, which moved you into the higher tax bracket................

Posted By: Frank Andruss | Posted on: Feb 2, 2014 - 8:16pm
Total Posts: 3964 | Joined: Feb 9, 2007 - 11:41am

Frank: If I recall correctly, Boats Newberry sent a letter to each of us veterans that he had the address at that time and told us about the book to be printed and ask each of us to write an article to be in the book along with a certain amount of money. I don't recall the amount. I believe only the vets who wrote articles in the book received a copy. I am sure there were more copies printed than there are articles by vets so there were some extra copies. I received one of them.

C. J. Willis

Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: Feb 3, 2014 - 10:36am
Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm

Thanks so much CJ for the information. It is nice to know the book has probably more value for it's History then it did when it came out. In any event it is a prized book for any of us who love the history of the PT BOATS, BASES, and TENDERS.

Posted By: Frank Andruss | Posted on: Feb 3, 2014 - 6:15pm
Total Posts: 3964 | Joined: Feb 9, 2007 - 11:41am

CJ, there must have been extra copies printed as my Dad had a copy (1211 ) but I guess he never wrote a story to be printed. I can only assume there were more to go around.

Ted, you will enjoy it. Way to go.

Steve

Posted By: Nuge210 | Posted on: Feb 4, 2014 - 11:01am
Total Posts: 323 | Joined: Jun 4, 2008 - 7:50am

All;
The book arrived yesterday!!!! I spent all night going through it! Some of the stories are great, I love the story about the PT Boater that lived on Siapan, and was restoring a Japanese Zero he found on another Island, but as of his writing he "only throws his empty beer cans at it"! There is also a lot of photos I have never seen.
The lady I purchased it from mentioned she trolled garage sales within a 50 mile radius of her home in Upstate New York, so I had sent, the lady a note, with a few names of towns(from a 2004 PT Boater newspaper), within that radius and she mention in her return letter, included with the book, that Saratoga County area was right, but she had had the book on the shelf for a number of years. I came across a crewkin that lived in Saratoga Springs. from RON 36 (I think, I will check later today when I get home). Also in the book were two Upstate NY newspaper clippings about the PT Boat reunion, and on the back a article mentions Govenor Mario Coumo, and he was NY GOV from January 1, 1983 – December 31, 1994.
Take care,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Feb 12, 2014 - 7:31am
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

I wonder how many copies they printed?
Victor

Victor K Chun

Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Feb 13, 2014 - 7:37am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

Victor;
Only 2000 copies were printed.
Take care,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Feb 13, 2014 - 8:57am
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

For those looking for a copy, do not limit your search to Ebay. I found my copy (#59) at an online used book store almost five years ago. It was supposed to be a gift for my father, but I have enjoyed the stories too much.

Gunnar W. Olson

Grandson of Bill Olson
RON 15, PT 214; RON 37, PT 539

Posted By: gwolson | Posted on: Mar 21, 2014 - 8:00pm
Total Posts: 15 | Joined: Jan 16, 2009 - 12:22pm

Guys, I've found online used bookstores a great source for hard-to-get books. You can enter wanted books (and price ranges you wish to pay for them, if you want), and the bookstore will email you if and when a copy becomes available.

For example, I found a pristine copy of "Tales of Tulagi" for the ridiculously low price of about four or five bucks, including shipping (I'd seen it listed at almost $100 elsewhere), from one of these sites.

I've had a lot of success with AbeBooks, and there are others out there.

Posted By: Drew Cook | Posted on: Mar 22, 2014 - 1:29pm
Total Posts: 1306 | Joined: Oct 19, 2006 - 10:44am

Drew;
Hold on to your hat! There is a copy of "Tales of Tulagi" on Ebay right now, asking price is $523!!!
Thank goodness I bought mine directly from Jack(wrote a note to me and signed it, as in the one on Ebay), back in 1992-93.
Take care,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Mar 22, 2014 - 4:50pm
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

Ted,

Wow! I'm glad I've got my Copy #1923.

Since the advent of the internet, I've stuffed printed photos of PTs and PT-related subjects not contained in the book between almost every page...my copy of Knights of the Sea is like a Super-PT album.

Posted By: Drew Cook | Posted on: Mar 22, 2014 - 7:06pm
Total Posts: 1306 | Joined: Oct 19, 2006 - 10:44am