Into Battle, a scarce and interesting wartime publisher's fine binding variant

Winston S. Churchill

Edité par Cassell and Company Ltd., London, 1943

A propos de cet article

Here is a scarce and interesting Second World War half-leather fine binding of the first of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill s seven war speech volumes. "In December 1943, some tenth impressions were bound in navy half Morocco and blue cloth, top edges gilt for corporate presentation. Many bear a gift bookplate from the General Fire Appliance Company Ltd., London." These special bindings were made of the three volumes of editions of Churchill's war speeches that had then been published using the most recent printings contemporary to December 1943, including this tenth printing of Into Battle, the first volume of Churchill's war speeches, the third printing of The Unrelenting Struggle, the second volume of Churchill's war speeches, and the second printing of The End of the Beginning, the third volume of Churchill's war speeches. Condition is very good. The navy half Morocco goatskin binding is square, tight, and unfaded, with sharp corners. We note only light superficial scuffing. The contents are bright, with light spotting primarily confined to the first and final leaves and the fore and bottom edges. The top edge gilt is uniformly bright. Tipped onto the front pastedown is the illustrated presentation plate of the "General Fire Appliance Company Limited" stating that this specially bound copy is presented "With the compliments of the Chairman and the Board of Directors". Directly above the plate, in three lines, is the inked name and address of the presumed recipient, "Lt John Sheppard. | 41, Tower View | Shirley; Croydon. Surrey".This first volume of Churchill's famous war speeches contains his orations from May 1938, when Churchill was still out of favor and out of power, to November 1940, six months after Churchill became wartime Prime Minister. There were twelve printings of this edition. This tenth printing was issued in December 1943. During his long public life, Winston Churchill played many roles worthy of note - Member of Parliament for more than half a century, soldier and war correspondent, author of scores of books, ardent social reformer, combative cold warrior, Nobel Prize winner, painter. But Churchill's preeminence as a historical figure owes most to his indispensable leadership during the Second World War, when his soaring and defiant oratory sustained his countrymen and inspired the free world. Of Churchill, Edward R. Murrow said: "He mobilized the English language and sent it into battle." When Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953, it was partly "…for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values." Between 1941 and 1946, Churchill's war speeches were published in seven individual volumes. In this first war speeches volume the great battle of the Twentieth Century and Churchill's life beginsReference: Cohen A142.1.k, Woods/ICS A66(a.10), Langworth p.205.

N° de réf. du vendeur 008031

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Into Battle, a scarce and interesting wartime publisher's fine binding variant
• Éditeur: Cassell and Company Ltd., London
• Date de parution: 1943
• Reliure: Half leather
• Édition: First edition, tenth printing.
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • WSC Collectible & Fine Bindings
  • WSC First Editions