INDIA

   

Churchill's biggest political miscalculation of the 1930's was probably his resistance to Dominion status (independence) for India. And India will likely never forgive him for his comment on Gandhi- "...a half-naked fakir striding up the steps of the viceregal palace to parlay with the representative of the King-Emperor..." He was concerned that premature withdrawal of the British would result in bloodshed between the Hindus and Muslims. Events after 1947 proved him right, but the political wind was clearly blowing the other way. A small collection of his speeches on India was published as a separate volume titled INDIA, in 1931 by Thornton Butterworth. Normally found in bright orange card covers, there was also a hardback version in orange cloth, which came in two versions: title reading ACROSS the spine, and title reading DOWN the spine. Both are far scarcer than the softcover, and command premium prices. A second impression came out immediately in 1931, which is normally found in green card covers. This book was never republished in Churchill's lifetime and had become quite scarce until Richard Langworth produced the Dragonwyck edition in 1990, a superb facsimile with a new introdusction by Manfred Weidhorn. As a result of a fire at the publisher's house, this edition is also now out of print, but I have a few copies left in stock.

 
1st softcover 1st cloth ACROSS 1st cloth DOWN
 
2nd imp. green Dragonwyck  

<< Back to Guide