Two Solitudes, MacLennan, Hugh. Published by Armed Services, Inc., New York, 1945 (through arrangement with Duell, Sloan & Pearce, Inc.). Card covers. 32mo – over 4″ – 5″ tall., 479pp. #932, AA Nov 45, wide format. Wear to covers; toning to pages and otherwise fine without markings, tears or folds. Two Solitudes is a narrative of English and French Canada, an established classic in the Canadian canon and was awarded the Governor General’s Award for 1945. Hugh MacLennan (1907-1990) was a Canadian novelist, essayist and, professor and the first major English-speaking writer to attempt a portrayal of Canada’s national character. He held a position of exceptional respect in Canada and was awarded the Order of Canada (1967) and the National Order of Quebec (1985); the Governor General’s Literary Award 3 times for fiction and twice for nonfiction; he was the first Canadian to receive the Princeton University’s James Madison Medal.
Armed Services Editions (ASEs) were small paperback books of fiction and nonfiction distributed to the American military during World War II. From 1943 to 1947, 122 million copies of more than 1,300 ASE titles were distributed. These pocket-sized copies were very popular, shared and circulated until they were too tattered to read; it is unknown how many copies survive as many were left behind when the troops returned.
