Winston S. Churchill - Marlborough: His Life and Times, Volume II, in jacket

Description: Marlborough: His Life and Times, Volume II Winston S. Churchill London: George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd., 1934 First British edition, second printing, in dust jacket Condition: Very Good plusJacket Condition: Very Good plus This is a jacketed British first edition, second and final printing of the second volume of Churchill's Marlborough. During the four years covered by Volume II (1702-1705), Marlborough led England as Captain-General. The volume is a substantial 651 pages with 31 illustrations, 76 maps and plans, and 3 document facsimiles. This second printing was issued the same month as the first printing and is virtually identical, differing only in second printing notation on the copyright page and lower front flap. This British first trade edition is not only dense in content but aesthetically impressive, measuring 9.25 x 6.25 inches (23.5 x 15.9 cm) and roughly 2 inches thick (5.1 cm), bound in plum cloth with beveled edges, the Churchill coat of arms in gilt on the front cover, and a gilt top edge. Unfortunately, the plum cloth bindings of Volumes I-III proved highly susceptible to sunning. (A different, more fade-resistant dye was used in Volume IV). Without the dust jackets, Volumes I-III are nearly always spine faded, and the jackets are increasingly elusive. Condition of both book and jacket is very good plus. The binding is tight and bright with rich, unfaded color, vivid gilt, the slightest forward lean, and trivial shelf wear to the spine heel and lower corners. The contents are bright with a crisp, unread feel, no previous ownership marks, and bright top edge gilt, only lightly scuffed. Spotting is mild for the edition, almost entirely confined to the fore and bottom edges, with only slight, occasional intrusions into the edges of the inner margins. The dust jacket is complete, with no loss and the original front flap price intact. We note mild wear to extremities, including a few short, closed tears, a hint of spine toning, and a faint vertical crease to the spine. The jacket is protected beneath a clear, removable, archival cover. Marlborough was initially conceived a full 40 years before publication of the final volume. Churchill originally considered the idea of the biography in 1898, returning to it in earnest in 1928. Marlborough ultimately took 10 years of research and writing and is the most substantial published work of Churchill's "wilderness years" in the 1930s, which he spent politically isolated, often at odds with both his own party and prevailing public sentiment. This decade saw Churchill pass into his sixties with his own future as uncertain as that of his nation. Churchill may well have expected that the life history of his great ancestor might ultimately eclipse his own. But that’s not what happened. The final volume was published almost exactly one year before the outbreak of the Second World War and just twenty months before Churchill became wartime prime minister. It has been said that "To understand the Churchill of the Second World War, the majestic blending of his commanding English with historical precedent, one has to read Marlborough.” Few would accuse Churchill of objectivity. Nonetheless, as a work of history it drew high praise. Upon reading the proofs, James Lewis Garvin, editor of The Observer, wrote “I think it to be… the greatest of all your works… Your full brush has never had more mastery over space and colour…” Two months after Volume I was published, on 12 December 1933, T.E. Lawrence wrote to Churchill: “I finished it only yesterday. I wish I had not… The skeleton of the book is so good. Its parts balance and the main stream flows… Marlborough has the big scene-painting, the informed pictures of men, the sober comment on political method, the humour, irony and understanding of your normal writing: but… more discipline and strength: and great dignity. It is history, solemn and decorative.” When Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953, it was partly for “mastery of historical and biographical description” on the strength of Marlborough, which was specifically cited and quoted by the Swedish Academy. Reference: Cohen A97.2(II).b, Woods/ICS A40(aa), Langworth p.166. Ref #: 008019 CHURCHILL BOOK COLLECTOR We are Churchill Book Collector, a professional bookseller specializing in books and other published works by and about the great twentieth century statesman and acclaimed writer, Sir Winston Churchill. We offer both a singular inventory and approachable expertise. The integrity of our inventory is backed by our membership in the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA), the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), and the Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA). Churchill's official biographer, Sir Martin Gilbert, rightly called Churchill's long life "remarkable and versatile". Statesman, soldier, war correspondent, ardent social reformer, combative cold warrior, painter - Churchill was many things, but perhaps above all a master wordsmith. We’re here to help Churchill’s words find your shelves. Our extensive inventory features some of the rarest material offered – including fine first editions and inscribed copies – as well as reading copies and works about Churchill’s life and time. While we specialize in Churchill, our inventory also includes noteworthy first and collectible editions by other authors, ranging from Xenophon to T. E. 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Price: 360 USD

Location: San Diego, California

End Time: 2024-12-19T03:57:19.000Z

Shipping Cost: 20 USD