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Manual for Army Cooks.
Washington: Government Printing Office, 1896.
Octavo. Original black cloth, gilt-lettered on spine and front cover. 306 pp.
A scarce and highly practical late 19th-century United States military manual, prepared under the direction of the Commissary General of Subsistence and issued as War Department Document No. 18. Intended for use by army cooks in both garrison and field conditions, the work provides detailed instruction on food preparation, rationing, sanitation, and camp kitchen management.
The text is notable for its combination of technical guidance and recipes, including sections on soups, meats, vegetables, breads, and puddings, as well as specialized material such as “Spanish Recipes,” reflecting the period’s expanding military engagements. Illustrated throughout with diagrams, including field ovens, camp ranges, and butchering charts, offering a vivid insight into late 19th-century military logistics and daily life.
Published just two years prior to the Spanish–American War, this manual would have been in active use during that conflict and the subsequent Philippine campaign.
Condition:
Sound but worn. Original cloth heavily rubbed with loss at spine ends and corners; spine chipped with some loss to lettering. Binding intact. Interior generally clean and complete, with light toning and occasional minor wear; illustrations and text clear.
A desirable and increasingly collectible U.S. military manual, particularly appealing for its blend of culinary history and field operations.
