Author: CHURCHILL. WINSTON. S.
Title: THE SECOND WORLD WAR. The Gathering Storm; Their Finest Hour; The Grand Alliance; The Hinge of Fate; Closing the Ring; Triumph and Tragedy.
Description: Cassell & Co. ltd. London. 1948-54. SIX VOLUMES. FIRST EDITIONS, 1st impressions. 8vo. (8.6 x 5.8 inches). Illustrated throughout with maps and plans, many folding. A near fine, bright set of books. Publishers black cloth with gilt lettering to the spines. Top edges dyed deep red, which is faded on four of the volumes. Patterned grey and white endpapers with rampant lion and Churchill's initials, designed by Lynton Lamb. In the publishers original dustwrappers with the same design background. Some minor toning to a couple of spines and a little creasing to the edges but generally very good clean wrappers with the spine lettering, including the red volume numbers and titles, still bright on all six volumes. Uncommon in such good condition. The red ink used for the volume numbers and sub titles is particularly prone to fading and copies without fading of the red, like this one, are hard to find. A superior set of first editions of Churchill's monumental history of World War Two. Loosely inserted is a printed slip that was sent out with some copies, dated 1948 and sending Churchill's good wishes. Often confused with real autographs these slips were, in fact, printed and are not uncommon.

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