CHURCHILL, Winston S.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

London to Ladysmith via Pretoria. First US edition, first printing, of Churchill's account of his experiences as a war correspondent in the Second Boer War."The volume essentially consists of 27 letters and telegrams to the Morning Post written between 26 October 1899 and 10 March 1900... It is, as Churchill said in his Introductory Note, 'mainly a personal record of my adventures and impressions during the first five months of the African War. It may also be found to give a tolerably coherent account of the operations conducted by Sir Redvers Buller for the Relief of Ladysmith'"(Cohen). A major component is Churchill's internment in a prisoner-of-war camp and his daring escape, which enthralled readers at the time and helped to cement his reputation as a man of action and character.The US edition was published in June, following the British edition in May. "It is almost always in better condition than the English edition, thanks to the drier American climate and a superior cloth binding. It is also printed on better quality paper which is less inclined towards spotting" (Langworth, p. 55).Provenance: the collection of Steve Forbes, chairman of Forbes Magazine, and presidential candidate in the 1996 and 2000 US elections; his book label is loosely inserted.

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.