The struggle between the Tories and the Patriots in Piedmont Carolina during the Revolution forms the background for this spy story, which is part of the Boys of Liberty Library series. The prose style is typical of the early twentieth century, but the novel contains enough action scenes to hold a young reader’s attention. The Battle of Guilford Courthouse is vividly depicted.
Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.
I have a book -Boys of Liberty Library Under Greene’s Banner or The boy Heroes of 1781 by T.C Harbaugh and was curious as to how many of these are still around. and how to preserve it ?
I think that the book you have is the same as the title that we have blogged about. When I checked WorldCat, my standard source for information on library holdings, I saw that very few libraries (under 20) appear to hold this title. That’s probably because this is a children’s book, something that would be in a public library. Public library collections are very fluid. A 100+year old book is not likely to be on the shelves in the children’s area of your local library.
Even though the book is relatively scarce, it is not necessarily valuable. I found one copy offered online for $25—about what you’d pay for a new hardback novel. The Boys of Liberty Library series was originally published by Street and Smith (in paperback). The hardback volumes from David McKay are later reprints. Those original paperback volumes are likely more valuable that the sturdy hardbacks from McKay.
If you want to keep your book in good condition, store it in a room with consistently moderate heat and humidity, away from direct sunlight and florescent light. (Avoiding bright light is particularly important for books that have illustrated covers, as this one does.) Gently remove surface dirt before storing. Books can be stored flat or upright. Store it with books the same size, if possible. Don’t leave the book leaning on something. Those are the basics. If you want to go beyond that, you could wrap the book in acid-free paper or have a custom enclosure made for it. To find someone to make an enclosure, search in the yellow pages or online using a term such as “book conservators.”