CHURCHILL, Winston S.

£3,750 · Offered by Peter Harrington · No longer available

Andra Världskriget. (The Second World War.) First editions in Swedish, volumes I, III, and VI only of the complete set. Each volume inscribed by Churchill on the half-title. Volume I: "Inscribed by Winston S. Churchill 1948 for Emery Reves"; Volume III signed and dated 1950; Volume VI signed and dated 1955. From the library of Emery Reves, Churchill's literary agent. Reves had been instrumental in promoting Churchill's pre-war international profile by the worldwide syndication of many of his prophetic articles during the late 1930s. Their association blossomed again when Reves negotiated the sale of the US rights for The Second World War, and purchased the international rights himself, selling serialization to 27 newspapers across the globe and securing book rights in 11 European countries. Churchill said of this feat: "I am sure that no one could have done it except Reves who buzzed around the world for nearly a year making contracts." They subsequently worked closely together on the book itself, Reves having what Martin Gilbert has described as "considerable editorial input".

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