CHURCHILL, Winston S.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

London to Ladysmith via Pretoria. First edition, inscribed by the author on the initial blank, "To John Crow from Winston S. Churchill 1 Jan 1911", together with an autograph letter signed from Churchill, 26 December 1910: "I have ordered a copy of my book 'London to Ladysmith' to be bound for you, and will send it when it is ready".Written on Churchill's Home Secretary letterhead, the letter thanks Crow for "the magnificent walking stick" he has carved for him, presumably a Christmas present. "The workmanship is really beautiful; both my wife and I admire it immensely, and so does everyone to whom I have shown it". London to Ladysmith recounts Churchill's experiences as a correspondent in the Second Boer War. Chapter 7 describes the attack on the armoured train in November 1899, in which Churchill was taken prisoner. The recipient may be the John Crow of Montrose, Angus, who served with the Durban Light Infantry during the Boer War, which was one of the units manning the train, and who is recorded as "wounded in hand in armoured train disaster" (Brodie, p. 231).The binding dates from the mid-20th century; the signed leaf and letter appear to have been transferred from the original binding, presumably after it became damaged.Provenance: the collection of Steve Forbes, chairman of Forbes Magazine, and presidential candidate in the 1996 and 2000 US elections.

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