THE WAR SPEECHES 1939-1945

 

Cassell decided to produce an entirely new high quality set of Churchill's wartime speeches, and so in 1952 published THE WAR SPEECHES OF THE RT. HON. WINSTON S. CHURCHILL. A completely new arrangement, this 3 volume set was bound in heavy navy buckram, stamped in gilt. Five speeches not in the wartime books were added, but most importantly, an index was included. More substantial books at 6 x 10 inches, these lovely volumes look and feel good. The pale yellow dustwrappers printed in black and pink are prone to wear and discoloration, so a truly fine set is seldom seen. Records indicate 4700 sets of the first edition. There was a second printing with similar jackets, so please note that jackets on first editions should not mention "SIR" Winston Churchill as he was not knighted until after the 1952 first publication. Even scarcer still was the American edition of this work. 500 sets of sheets were supplied to Houghton Mifflin who added a rather unattractive binding of grey spines over pinkish cloth with gilt titles that are usually dull. the jackets are a confusing mess of pale turquoise and black, and the set was originally supplied in a plain blue slipcase. The only other edition was a low price set sold by Purnell in the 1970's. which used the plates of the first edition, but trimmed to a smaller size and bound in bright blue.

1st edition American 1st Purnell set

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