THE SECOND WORLD WAR
-First English Overseas Edition in Dust Jackets-
1949-1953
First English "Overseas Edition" Set
Cassell and Co. [London]
Biblio: (Cohen A240.5[I-VI].a) (Woods A123ba)
16mo (Maps, diagrams and tables throughout)
Hardcover in Dust Jackets [Black cloth]
Item Number: 214372
$1,250.00
Collector's Guide
The Second World War, also known as Winston Churchill’s War Memoirs, won Churchill the Nobel Prize for literature in 1953. Published in six volumes that appeared over six years, the books each came out first in the U.S. under the following titles: THE GATHERING STORM (Volume I/1948), THEIR FINEST HOUR (Volume II/1949), THE GRAND ALLIANCE (Volume III/1950), THE HINGE OF FATE (Volume IV/1950), CLOSING THE RING (Volume V/1951) and TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY (Volume VI/1953).
The ensuing English editions, issued within months of the American, contained numerous corrections and even a few additional maps. The English edition is therefore considered more definitive, though today the American edition may be rarer. The set was simultaneously published by the Book-of-the-Month-Club in America, printed on the same presses as the first editions, and thus can easily be confused with them. An excellent one-volume abridgment was published in 1959; largely the work of Churchill’s research assistant, Denis Kelly, though Churchill did contribute an interesting epilogue covering the years 1945-1957.
Description
This is a very good set of the rare First English “Overseas” edition in dust jackets that bear the imprint: “Overseas Edition” just above the price on the lower front jacket flaps. This “Overseas Edition” does not appear to be fully described in any Churchill bibliography, though Ronald Cohen does mention examining in Australia a copy of the British-published Volume II, with the jacket flap “Overseas Edition” imprint (Cohen Volume I, Page 777).
Volume I dust jacket is partially price-clipped, with the “Overseas Edition” imprint still present. Volume III jacket is widely price-clipped, eliminating the “Overseas Edition” imprint. All other jackets are unclipped but Volume VI lacks the “Overseas Edition” imprint. The jackets are generally fresh and bright on the front faces, with Volumes V and VI more age-darkened. The jacket spines are unevenly faded but bright on the first four jackets, edge-chipped with fractional losses at the spine heads of V and VI.
The publication page of Volume I indicates that it is the Second “Revised” English edition of 1949. All other volumes are First English edition First Printings. The cloth is crisply black and the contents of all are fine, with an inked date (“February 1950”) on the front free endpaper of Volume I; a discreet, dated ink gift inscription on the half-title of Volume II; and a former-owner name in ink on the front free endpaper verso of Volume V. Topstains are variably faded. There is faint, scattered foxing to the fore-edges of Volumes II, III and VI. Else fine and unfoxed.
A very nice jacketed set and a genuinely rare First English Edition variant.