| THE RIVER WAR first published in 1899 is one of the most exciting and readable of Churchill's books. It is the story of a military expedition up the Nile in 1898 to avenge the death of Gen. Gordon in Khartoum, and to pacify the Dervishes. The first edition was a premium production in 2 large heavy volumes with many illustrations and 4 colour plans that were not included in any of the one volume editions. There is, for example, a detailed plan of the charge of the 21st Lancers showing the position at ten different times in a 45 minute period. Any of the 3 impressions of the first edition are now very elusive. The 1902 one volume edition was abridged, with a number of remarks about Kitchener and other material removed, so only the firsts have the full original text. A small cheap edition was published during the First World War by Thomas Nelson. The 1933-65 hardbacks from Eyre & Spottiswoode do contain over 20 maps, some folding and some in 2 colours and so are well able to tell the story. There was even an American edition by Scribnersin 1933, which has identical contenst to the Emglish editions. Hardbacks have been out of print for over 20 years, but fortunately there have been large size paperbacks in the past 10 years from the Prion Lost Treasures Seriesand Carroll & Graf. |
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| 1st edition | 1st one vol 1902 | Nelson edition |
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| 1933-65 hardbacks | US 1st 1933 | Prion pb |