THE WORLD CRISIS 1911-1918
-First English Abridged One-Volume Edition in Variant Dust Jacket-
1931
First English Abridged Edition (First Impression)
Thornton Butterworth Ltd. [London]
Biblio: (Cohen A69.6.a) (Woods A31ba.2)
8vo (832 pages, illustrated with maps and plans.)
Hardcover in Dust Jacket [Green cloth]
Item Number: 214200
$4,500.00
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 remarkable copy of the First Impression of the First English Abridged edition wrapped in this altogether remarkable deep-green dust jacket that we have never before seen; a dark-green variant of the much paler-green standard First Impression dust jacket; identical to it in every detail but the color. The jacket is, moreover, the rare Second State (per Langworth) with an advert for THE EASTERN FRONT added to THE AFTERMATH on the rear flap. It is virtually mint, with two very faint surface creases and a smattering of edge-chips at the head and tail of the spine that have been archivally filled out. The book and contents are fine, save for a vintage ink gift inscription dated March 1931 on the front free endpaper.
Always more to discover about Winston Churchill’s books!