A Connoisseur's Guide to the Books of Sir Winston Churchill, inscribed by the author

London: Brassey's, 2000. Second, Revised, Edition. Hardcover. This book is a must for Churchill collectors. Written by Churchill expert and International Churchill Society founder Richard Langworth, it discusses in detail nearly all English language editions of Churchill's works. This is a beautifully fine, nearly as new jacketed copy of the desirable second (corrected) edition of 2000, containing "all the additional corrections I have compiled to date through readers of the First Edition and colleagues around the world." Moreover, this copy is also inscribed by the author. Inked in blue in two lines above the author's name on the title page is: "Peter Robel | from Richard Langworth". The binding is square, clean, bright, and tight with tiny bumps to the rear cover corners, the contents pristine, crisp and bright with no spotting, soiling, or signs of handling. The dust jacket is crisp, bright, and complete. The jacket is protected beneath a clear, removable, archival cover.

The life and achievements of Richard M. Langworth CBE (b.1941) are entwined with service to Churchill’s memory and legacy. Among his accomplishments, Richard revived the Churchill Society, edited 140 issues of the Churchill Society’s quarterly publication Finest Hour, was a Churchill-specialist bookseller, and authored A Connoisseur’s Guide to the Books of Sir Winston Churchill and five books of Churchill quotations. In 1998, Richard was awarded by Her Majesty the Queen with a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) “for services to Anglo-American understanding and the memory of Sir Winston Churchill.” Richard serves as a Senior Fellow for the Churchill Project at Hillsdale College.

Richard Langworth did a great service to Churchill collectors with A Connoisseur’s Guide to the Books of Sir Winston Churchill, not only discussing each edition at length, but also seeking and incorporating hundreds of images of some truly extraordinary books. Not a bibliography, this book is truly what the title purports - a guide. Reading it provides an aesthetic, critical, and historical sense for each of Churchill's book-length works. Moreover, useful information is provided about identifying many of the many editions of each of Churchill's book-length works. While the market values cited are woefully out of date and should be disregarded, the information about editions and the hundreds of photographs remain quite informative.

Reference: Zoller A636