The War Speeches of the Rt. Hon. Winston S. Churchill, Taiwanese (pirated) edition, 3 volumes complete

Taipei: Zhuo Liu quing Di and Xinyue Books Co., Ltd, July 1964. Hardcover. Here is a full, jacketed set of three volumes of the pirated Taiwanese edition of Churchill's war speeches. Originally issued in 1951 when Churchill returned as Prime Minister, the definitive 3-volume British edition of Churchill's War Speeches was superior to the original 7 wartime editions in both content and aesthetics. Consolidated into three uniform volumes, the set also added five speeches and a helpful index. The British first editions measured a substantial 10 x 6.25 inches (25.4 x 15.9 cm) with attractive, uniform dust jackets. As was the case with many postwar British editions of Churchill's works, this set appeared in an unauthorized, copyright violation Taiwanese edition. This edition was photo-reproduced in 1964 from the Cassell edition of 1951.

Although the contents are photo-reproduced (with all references to the publisher excised) and the dust jacket is of nearly identical content and appearance, there are significant distinctions. First, the volumes are roughly 20 percent smaller than their British edition counterparts, measuring 8 x 5.5 inches (20.3 x 14 cm). Second, the binding is in a coarse blue-gray cloth with silver titling on the spine. Finally, the pirated dust jackets are a vivid yellow (rather than the pale yellow of the British editions) and have an amusing error on the Volume One jacket spine; the first letter of the editor's first name is omitted so that it reads "Edited By Harles Eade". Ink-stamped in purple on each front free endpaper recto are eight lines of Chinese characters.

These pirate editions are scarce, jacketed full sets doubly so. This full set is very good in very good dust jackets. The blue cloth bindings are tight, clean, and square with minor sunning corresponding to small dust jacket losses at spine ends. The contents are clean, mildly age-toned but with no previous owner names and no appreciable spotting. No previous owner inscriptions. The dust jackets retain their bright yellow color with unfaded spines. The jackets show overall soiling, some wear to extremities, and minor losses mostly confined to the spine ends. The dust jackets are protected beneath clear, removable, archival covers.

During his long public life, Winston Churchill played many roles worthy of note - Member of Parliament for more than half a century, soldier and war correspondent, author of scores of books, ardent social reformer, combative cold warrior, Nobel Prize winner, painter. But Churchill's preeminence as a historical figure owes most to his indispensable leadership during the Second World War, when his soaring and defiant oratory sustained his countrymen and inspired the free world. Of Churchill, Edward R. Murrow said: "He mobilized the English language and sent it into battle." When Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953, it was partly “…for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values.”

Between 1941 and 1946, Churchill's war speeches were published in seven individual volumes. Charles (not "Harles"!) Eade played a critical role in their original publication, as well as in the publication of this edition issued during Churchill's second premiership. Charles Eade (1903-1964) was a noted figure in British journalism. In 1938 he became editor of the Sunday Dispatch, a post he held until 1957. Eade was also an early radio sports commentator, and during the Second World War served as public relations advisor to Louis Mountbatten. In 1942 Eade stepped in as compiler of Churchill's wartime speech volumes, replacing Churchill's son, Randolph, who had been called to wartime service. Notably, he offered his services free of charge, stating, "my reward for the task would be the pleasure of doing it" (7 May 1941 letter from Charles Eade to Kathleen Hill). Eade ultimately edited six of the seven wartime volumes - all except the first, Into Battle. For this "definitive" (albeit pirated) edition of Churchill's war speeches, Eade returned to the role.

Reference: Cohen A263.5