Winston Churchill's War Speeches: Into Battle, The Unrelenting Struggle, The End of the Beginning, Onwards to Victory, The Dawn of Liberation, Victory, Secret Session Speeches.

First editions of each volume. Octavo, original cloth, 6 volumes. Secret Sessions Speeches is inscribed by the author on the half title page, "For Sir Crisp English from Winston Churchill. The recipient was Sir Thomas Crisp English physician who saved Winston Churchill's life in 1922. The 48-year old Churchill was Colonial Secretary in Lloyd George's Government when he consulted the surgeon in October that year, complaining of severe 'indigestion.' Sir Crisp diagnosed acute appendicitis and insisted on operating that very evening, even though Churchill had planned to travel north to Dundee to defend his seat in the forthcoming General Election. Crisp's decision to operate immediately proved crucial as his notes (held along with other papers at Churchill College) record that the appendix was gangrenous, as well as perforated, and that he removed it with difficulty. A day after the operation Churchill went home on a stretcher to Sussex Square, but just 10 days later he was on his way to Scotland to campaign in a wheelchair. He recorded in his memoirs that he returned "without a seat in the Commons, without prospects and without his appendix". Each volume are near fine in very good to near fine dust jackets. Rare and desirable, with a significant association.