Winston S. Churchill - The End of the Beginning, General Fire Appliance Company

Description: The End of the Beginning Winston S. Churchill London: Cassell and Company Ltd., 1943 British first edition, second printing Condition: Very Good Here is a scarce and interesting half-leather fine binding of the third of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill’s seven war speech volumes. “In December 1943, some second impressions were bound in navy half Morocco and blue cloth, top edges gilt for corporate presentation. Many bear a gift bookplate from the General Fire Appliance Company Ltd., London.” These special bindings were made of the three volumes editions of Churchill's war speeches that had then been published using the most recent printings contemporary to December 1943, including the tenth printing of Into Battle, the first volume of Churchill's war speeches, the third printing of The Unrelenting Struggle, the second volume of Churchill's war speeches, and this second printing of The End of the Beginning, the third volume of Churchill's war speeches. Condition is very good. The navy half Morocco goatskin binding is square, tight, and unfaded, with sharp corners. We note only light superficial scuffing. The contents are bright, with light spotting primarily confined to the first and final leaves and the fore and bottom edges. The top edge gilt remains respectably bright. Tipped onto the front pastedown is the illustrated presentation plate of the “General Fire Appliance Company Limited” stating that this specially bound copy is presented “With the compliments of the Chairman and the Board of Directors”. Directly above the plate, in three lines, is the inked name and address of the presumed recipient, “Lt John Sheppard. | 41, Tower View | Shirley. Croydon. Surrey.” This third volume of Churchill’s war speeches contains speeches throughout 1942. This year was a low point of the war, full of setbacks and disappointments across the globe for the British. Throughout 1942, Churchill's speeches conveyed sober, resolved, and eloquent defiance - with of course an occasional sparkle of Churchillian wit, even in the dark hours of the war. The title of this volume comes from Churchill's 10 November 1942 speech at the Lord Mayor's Day Luncheon in London at a time when fortune finally favored the British with victories in North Africa: "The Germans have received back again that measure of fire and steel which they have so often meted out to others. Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." During his long public life, Winston Churchill played many roles worthy of note - Member of Parliament for more than half a century, soldier and war correspondent, author of scores of books, ardent social reformer, combative cold warrior, Nobel Prize winner, painter. But Churchill's preeminence as a historical figure owes most to his indispensable leadership during the Second World War, when his soaring and defiant oratory sustained his countrymen and inspired the free world. Of Churchill, Edward R. Murrow said: "He mobilized the English language and sent it into battle." When Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953, it was partly “…for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values.” Between 1941 and 1946, Churchill's war speeches were published in seven individual volumes. Reference: Cohen A183.1.b, Woods/ICS A94(a.2), Langworth p.219. Ref #: 008033 CHURCHILL BOOK COLLECTOR We are Churchill Book Collector, a professional bookseller specializing in books and other published works by and about the great twentieth century statesman and acclaimed writer, Sir Winston Churchill. We offer both a singular inventory and approachable expertise. The integrity of our inventory is backed by our membership in the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA), the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), and the Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA). Churchill's official biographer, Sir Martin Gilbert, rightly called Churchill's long life "remarkable and versatile". Statesman, soldier, war correspondent, ardent social reformer, combative cold warrior, painter - Churchill was many things, but perhaps above all a master wordsmith. We’re here to help Churchill’s words find your shelves. Our extensive inventory features some of the rarest material offered – including fine first editions and inscribed copies – as well as reading copies and works about Churchill’s life and time. While we specialize in Churchill, our inventory also includes noteworthy first and collectible editions by other authors, ranging from Xenophon to T. E. Lawrence, spanning exploration and empire to twentieth century fiction. We are able to help with anything from finding individual books to assembling full collections, working closely with individual collectors to identify and accommodate their preferences and budget. We are also able to commission preservation cases and fine bindings. Please contact us if you have books to sell. We buy, and in some cases consign, fine and collectible individual items, as well as whole collections.

Price: 300 USD

Location: San Diego, California

End Time: 2025-01-03T22:15:21.000Z

Shipping Cost: 18 USD