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: 138059

London: Cassell & Co, 1948-54.

First editions of Winston Churchill’s masterpiece. Octavo, six volumes, bound in full morocco by The Harcourt Bindery, gilt titles, ruling and tooling to the spine, raised bands, gilt ruled to the front and rear panels, gilt signature to the front panel of each volume, inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. In fine condition. An exceptional presentation.

"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.