REID, Stuart.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

John and Sarah: Duke & Duchess of Marlborough, 1660-1744. First edition, a compelling presentation copy from the 9th Duke of Marlborough to Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig during the First World War, inscribed on the initial blank, "To F.M. Sir Douglas Haig K.T. etc. etc. from Marlborough", and with an autograph letter signed from Marlborough to Lady Haig loosely inserted.Charles Spencer-Churchill (1871-1934), first cousin of Winston Churchill, became 9th Duke of Marlborough in 1892. During the First World War, he served in France as a lieutenant-colonel on the General Staff. The letter, dated 4 July 1918, reads: "I am sending the Field Marshal a book which I promised him. I wonder if you would kindly unpack it and find a place for it on the shelves of your library. I know that there is no room for this kind of book at G.H.Q. so I hope that you will befriend it! I found the F.M. working very hard and fit in France. He was most kind and allowed me to stay with him for a day or so. I was deeply interested in all that I saw".Reid's book was a fitting gift: Haig was then commanding the British armies in France against German domination of Europe, inviting comparison with Marlborough's leadership of the allied struggle against Louis XIV two centuries earlier.In his vivid and sympathetic dual biography, Reid defends John Churchill against earlier hostile portrayals and seeks to secure his recognition as a national hero. He draws extensively on the Blenheim Palace archives, publishin

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