The Second World War: The Gathering Storm; Their Finest Hour; The Grand Alliance; The Hinge of Fate; Closing the Ring; Triumph and Tragedy.

CHURCHILL, Winston S.

Item Number: 141355

London: Cassell & Company, 1948-54.

First editions of each volume in Churchill’s World War II masterpiece. Octavo, six volumes, original black cloth, patterned endpapers, maps present. Boldly signed by the author on the half-title page of volume one in the year of publication, “Inscribed by Winston S. Churchill 1948.” Each are near fine in near fine dust jackets with a touch of shelfwear. Bookplate to the pastedown of the first volume. Housed in a custom slipcase. An exceptional set, rare and desirable signed.

"Winston Churchill himself affirmed that ‘this is not history: this is my case" (Holmes, 285). Churchill was re-elected to the post of Prime Minister in 1951. "The Second World War is a great work of literature, combining narrative, historical imagination and moral precept in a form that bears comparison with that of the original master chronicler, Thucydides. It was wholly appropriate that in 1953 Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature" (Keegan). Named by Modern Library as one of the 100 best non-fiction books of the twentieth century. It placed number one on the 100 best non-fiction books of the twentieth century by National Review magazine.