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ARMS AND THE COVENANT

-Signed First English Edition in Dust Jacket-

1938

First English Edition

By: Winston S. Churchill

George G. Harrap & Co. [London]

Biblio: (Cohen A 107.1) (Woods A44a)

8vo (466 pages)

Hardcover (with Dust Jacket) [Dark blue cloth]

Item Number: 210052

Collector's Guide

Arms and the Covenant captures Churchill’s initial alarms against Hitler and the Nazis in forty-one prophetic pre-war speeches delivered from 1928-1938, edited by his son Randolph. Published in the U.S. under the title While England Slept, the book, according to FDR, sat on his White House nightstand in 1938.

Description

This very good copy of the First English edition, in the rare dust jacket, is signed and dated in ink in the month of publication by author and editor, both — father and son: “Inscribed by Winston S. Churchill / Randolph S. Churchill / June 1938.”

The unclipped dust jacket is shelfworn, toned on the spine and at the spine folds, with fractional losses at the tail and more substantially at the head, each of which have tape shadows from previous reinforcement (now removed). The jacket faces, front and rear, are surprisingly fresh, however, retaining excellent color. The book itself is virtually mint, entirely unfaded, including along the fade-prone spine. The contents are fine, with only the faintest hint of scattered foxing to the prelims only.

Overall, a beautiful and extremely rare example. Winston and Randolph Churchill are known to have signed precious few copies jointly.