Churchill, Winston | My Early Life, inscribed by the author

Churchill, Winston

My Early Life: A Roving Commission. London: Macmillan & Co, 1944

8vo. Publisher's dark blue cloth, gilt-lettered. Dust jacket; small water stain to upper cover, head and foot of spine rubbed with small tears.

One of ten souvenir copies presented to Mr George Rance, inscribed by the author in 1945.

George Rance was the Clerk and Custodian of the Cabinet War Rooms. This copy has a letter on paper headed "10 Downing Street" pasted to the preliminary leaf, presenting the souvenir copy to Rance "With Mr Churchill's Compliments," dated 26 July 1945. The book was gifted on the day of the Potsdam Declaration, when the United States, United Kingdom and China called for the unconditional surrender of Japan.

Woods A37 note "a number of sheets were transferred to Macmillan who republished the book in 1941 with a cancel title." This copy is a 1944 reprint of the Macmillan edition.

REFERENCE:

Cohen A91.6.d; cf Woods A37

PROVENANCE:

George Rance (presentation copy)