THE WORLD CRISIS
-First English Edition Set without Dust Jackets-
1923-1931
First English Edition Set
Thornton Butterworth Ltd. [London]
Biblio: (Cohen A69.2[I.b, II-VI.a]) (Woods A31ab)
8vo (5 volumes in 6 books. 2500+ pages, illustrated with folding maps and plans.)
Hardcover without Dust Jackets [Dark-Blue cloth]
Item Number: 212474
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Collector's Guide
The World Crisis is Churchill’s highly subjective history of the First World War. Comprising five volumes (in six books) written over eight years, the initial titles were first published in the U.S. (by a matter of days), making the American edition the true first edition. Volume I (1911-1914) and Volume II (1915) were published in 1923. Volume III (1916-1918 ) was published in two parts in 1927 (hence the five/in six volumes ultimate format). Volume IV (The Aftermath 1918-1928) was published in 1929; and Volume V (The Unknown War/The Eastern Front) in 1931. A one-volume abridgment by the author was soon issued. Most subsequent re-issues have been incomplete, abridged, or otherwise condensed versions of the original text.
Description
A very good First English edition set of First Printings, without dust jackets, inscribed and signed in ink on the front free endpaper of Volume IV, THE AFTERMATH: “To Robert Cecil from Winston S. Churchill 6. Mar. 1929.” (The month of publication.)
LORD ROBERT CECIL (1864-1958), 4th Marquess of Salisbury, was a British lawyer, politician and diplomat, whose father served as Prime Minister three times. As one of the architects of the League of Nations, Robert Cecil was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1937.
VOLUME I (Book 1) is the Second State of the First Printing with the Errata slip tipped-in opposite Page 1. The cloth is bright, with some light scuffing and shelf wear, including faint short tears at the spine head and tail, as well as very light, scattered foxing to the prelims and the fore-edge. Else fine. Laid-in is a charming vintage “Subjects Interests” solicitation postcard from the publisher Thornton Butterworth.
VOLUME II (Book 2) is similarly lightly scuffed, with some cloth rubbed away at the the lower front right corner. The contents are fine with very faint scattered foxing to the prelims only.
VOLUME III Part 1 (Book 3) is a beautiful copy, with flap-toning to the endpapers, else fine.
VOLUME III Part 2 (Book 4) is crisp and bright, with a former-owner name discreetly inked on the front free endpaper, which is also flap-toned. There is a tiny vintage bookshop plate on the front pastedown and flap-toning to the rear free endpaper, as well. The contents are fine, with three or four spots of light foxing to the fore-edges.
VOLUME IV: THE AFTERMATH (Book 5), which is the First State of the First Printing, per Cohen, without an Errata slip opposite Page 9, is a very handsome copy, crisp and bright, with just the faintest bubbling to the cloth near the front hinge. Else fine.
VOLUME V: THE EASTERN FRONT (Book 6) is a lovely copy with a tiny indentation on each front board edge and a former-owner name discreetly inked on the front free endpaper. Else fine.