Adrien BERTRAND (1888-1917) L'Appel du Sol. Original manuscript. In 4 full contemporary chagrin ribbed spine decorated. Flower in the centre of the boxes. Gilt fillet on covers, interior roulette. Gilt edges. A stain affects the upper part of the second plate and the upper edge without affecting the text. Minor deterioration of the gilding on the inner border due to this stain. Ample legible handwriting on rectos only, with erasures, corrections, etc. Handwritten title dated 1916, chapter head, 210 leaves and 1 ff of table. Note: Born on 4 August 1888 in Nyons in the Drôme, Adrien Bertrand embarked on a literary career at a very early age, editing a review, Les chimères, with friends. He became a journalist and contributed to various newspapers: Gil Blas, Le siècle, etc. In August 1914, he joined his regiment. In September 1914, he was awarded the Croix de Guerre. He was soon repatriated to the rear because of his health problems. On 18 November 1917, Adrien Bertrand died in Grasse. He was 29 years old at the time. L'Appel du sol was published in November 1916. It was awarded the Prix Goncourt 1914 in November 1916 because of the war. This novel recounts the adventures of Vaissette, a sergeant promoted to officer who perishes on the battle line. The author brings to life a war of movement, fought at the start of the 14-18 conflict by a group of Alpine chasseurs resisting the German breakthrough in Lorraine and the Marne. Readers will discover a bleak picture of the realities of war, in which every episode is marked by death and the spirit of sacrifice. On the same day, the 1916 Prix Goncourt was awarded to Henri Barbusse for "Fire". André Billy wrote of L'Appel du Sol "A very noble and proud work, in which the descriptive pages are among the most poignant that the combatants have produced". An important testimony. Expert: Mr François Jullien.