Steg for Steg 1936-1939. [Step by Step 1936-1939]. [Winston Churchill’s Copy]

CHURCHILL, Winston S.

$2,800.00

Item Number: 146028

Stockholm: Skoglunds Bokforlag, 1939.

First Swedish edition and Churchill’s own copy of the last book he published before the outbreak of the Second World War. Octavo, in the publisher’s rare full morocco presentation binding by Nordiska Bokhandelns Bokbinderi with gilt ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt, original wrappers bound in. It is thought that Churchill’s Swedish publishers, Messrs. Skoglund Bokforlag, normally sent him two specially bound copies of each title they published. It was his practice to inscribe one copy (which he returned to them), leaving one copy for his library. A typed note loosely inserted in this copy states “According to a source at Hodgson’s this volume, which is a Presentation Copy to Sir Winston Churchill, came from Chartwell (sale 29.3.1966).” In near fine condition.

The final book Churchill published before the outbreak of the Second World War, Step by Step contains 82 letters written fortnightly between 1936-1939 regarding British Foreign Policy and Defence, many of which contain early warnings and predictions about the threat of Nazi Germany. Churchill states in his preface, "When I came to read the letters through I was surprised to find that they seemed to tell the tale of these three eventful and disastrous years in a continuous flow. They are at once a running commentary upon events as they happened or were about to happen, and a narrative of what we have lived through. I therefore thought it would be right to present them to the readers of Great Britain, the United States, France and Scandinavia in this volume and its translations which I trust may be accepted as a faithful record."