The Big Five Motorcycle Boys Under Fire Ralph Marlow 1915 First Edition

📖 **The Big Five Motorcycle Boys Under Fire — 1915 First Edition by Ralph Marlow**
*A World War I-era adventure novel from the golden age of American series books*

**ABOUT THIS BOOK**

Published in 1915 by A. L. Burt Company of New York, this is the first edition of Ralph Marlow’s wartime adventure featuring the Big Five Motorcycle Boys. The full title reads “The Big Five Motorcycle Boys Under Fire, or With the Allies in the War Zone.” A. L. Burt was one of the most prolific publishers of series fiction for young readers, producing adventure lines that rivaled those of Stratemeyer Syndicate (creators of Tom Swift and The Hardy Boys). The Motorcycle Boys series ran from 1914 through 1916, with titles including “At the Front,” “On the Battle Line,” and “In Tennessee Wilds.”

**THE STORY**

Set against the backdrop of World War I, this 256-page novel follows five young men who ride motorcycles through the European war zone. The Big Five Motorcycle Boys were a team of adventurous youths who used their motorbikes for daring missions, carrying dispatches, and encountering danger across the battlefields of Europe. The book features chapters titled “Under Fire” and “At the Brink of the Stream,” with characters including Rod, Rooster, and Josh. The narrative blends action, camaraderie, and patriotic themes typical of the era’s youth adventure fiction, when American boys were eager to read about heroism on the Western Front even before the United States formally entered the war in 1917.

**COVER AND BINDING**

Green cloth-wrapped boards with a decorated front cover design. The cover illustration shows a young rider in a brown uniform and cap on a red motorcycle, with a second motorcycle visible behind him, set against a landscape of trees and water. The title “The BIG FIVE MOTORCYCLE BOYS” appears in bold black serif lettering, with “UNDER FIRE” in red, creating the dramatic contrast that made Burt covers instantly recognizable. The dust jacket spine carries the full title, author name “RALPH MARLOW,” and publisher “A.L. BURT COMPANY” in dark lettering against the green background. The title page lists other works by Ralph Marlow in the Motorcycle Boys series.

**WHY IT MATTERS**

– First edition, 1915, with copyright page confirming “Copyright, 1915 / By A. L. Burt Company”
– One of the WWI-era Motorcycle Boys series titles, published during the height of the war
– A. L. Burt Company series books are collectible as examples of early 20th-century American juvenile fiction
– The series predated and paralleled the more famous Stratemeyer Syndicate lines
– Includes one glossy illustrated frontispiece
– 256 pages of period adventure fiction with original chapter headings and narrative style

**FOR COLLECTORS**

A copy of the Big Five Motorcycle Boys series from 1915 in original green cloth binding with dust jacket intact. These Burt series books are becoming increasingly scarce in collectible condition, and copies with their original jackets are particularly hard to find. This volume represents a genuine artifact from the first wave of American motorcycle adventure fiction.

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**CONDITION:**

This is a “good plus” vintage cloth wrapped hardcover, published in 1915 by A.L. Burt Company, 256 pages.

First edition.

The binding and gutters are intact and solid. Text block shows foxing and light spotting consistent with age. No writing, no loose, torn or folded pages. Board corners are worn with some cloth wear. Spine shows light tanning. Upper text block edge is dusted.

The dust jacket is present, showing wear consistent with age including fraying and chipping at the top edge and corners. Some surface rubbing.

See accompanying images for full condition details.

Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

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HFB-SEO-v1: 2026-07-05

1 in stock