The War Speeches of the Rt. Hon. Winston S. Churchill, Volume Three only of the three-volume definitive edition of Churchill's war speeches by Winston S. Churchill - 1952

London: Cassell and Company Ltd., 1952. First edition, first printing. Hardcover. This is Volume III only of the first edition, first printing of the three-volume "definitive" edition of Churchill's war speeches, published during Churchill's second and final premiership. This third volume contains speeches spanning 11 September 1943 to 16 August 1945.

After Churchill returned to 10 Downing Street in October 1951, the publisher reissued the seven War Speeches volumes as a new, three-volume edition. This edition is, in many ways, superior to the original seven wartime editions in both aesthetics and content. Gone is the cheap economy paper of the wartime editions. The binding is a heavy navy cloth with attractive, uniform dust jackets. The books each measure a substantial 10 x 6.25 inches. New speeches are added, as is a helpful index. Some of the original speeches considered peripheral are eliminated while others are retitled and chronological dates are replaced with brief transitional or introductory notes.

This copy of Volume III is very good plus in a very good plus dust jacket. The blue cloth binding is square and tight with bright spine gilt and only minor shelf wear to extremities, including a slightly bruised lower rear corner. The contents are clean and bright with a crisp feel and no previous owner names. Light spotting appears entirely confined to the top edges. The dust jacket is entirely complete, with no loss. The unclipped lower front flap features a "CASSELL 63/- NET" publisher's price sticker. The jacket shows some minor soiling, a small closed nick on the lower spine adjacent the publisher's device, and a little wear at the spine ends. The jacket is protected beneath clear, removable, archival cover.

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 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" edition of Churchill's war speeches, Eade returned to the role.

Reference: Cohen A263.1(III).a, Woods/ICS A136(a.1), Langworth p.303.