CHURCHILL, Winston S.
The World Crisis 1911-1914; The World Crisis 1915; The World Crisis 1916-1918 Part One and Part Two; The World Crisis. The Aftermath; The World Crisis. The Eastern Front.
London: Thornton Butterfield , 1923-31.
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“ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANT TREATISES ON WAR THAT HAS EVER BEEN WRITTEN”: THE WORLD CRISIS, FULL FIRST EDITION SET; From the library of the 6th Duke of Portland
First British editions of Churchill's important history of World War I. Octavo, six volumes, original blue cloth. Illustrated throughout with maps and charts. From the library of William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, the 6th Duke of Portland with his bookplate to the front pastedown of each volume. He was a British landowner, courtier, and Conservative politician. He notably served as Master of the Horse between 1886 and 1892 and again between 1895 and 1905.In near fine condition with light rubbing to the extremities. An exceptional set, uncommon in this condition and with noted provenance.
His American biographer William Manchester wrote that: His masterpiece is The World Crisis, published over a period of several years, 1923 to 1931, a six-volume, 3,261-page account of the Great War, beginning with its origins in 1911 and ending with its repercussions in the 1920s. Magnificently written, it is enhanced by the presence of the author at the highest councils of war and in the trenches as a battalion commander. The British historian Robert Rhodes James wrote that: For all its pitfalls as history, The World Crisis must surely stand as Churchills masterpiece.As first lord of the admiralty and minister for war and air, Churchill stood resolute at the center of international affairs. In this classic account, he dramatically details how the tides of despair and triumph flowed and ebbed as the political and military leaders of the time navigated the dangerous currents of world conflict. Churchill vividly recounts the major campaigns that shaped the war: the furious attacks of the Marne, the naval maneuvers off Jutland, Verdun's "soul-stirring frenzy," and the surprising victory of Chemins des Dames. Here, too, he re-creates the dawn of modern warfare: the buzz of airplanes overhead, trench combat, artillery thunder, and the threat of chemical warfare. In Churchill's inimitable voice we hear how "the war to end all wars" instead gave birth to every war that would follow. "The World Crisis is at once an outstandingly readable history of the First World War -- the seminal drama of modern times -- and an eyewitness account, especially of its opening years. Whether as a statesman or an author, Churchill was a giant; and The World Crisis towers over most other books about the Great War" (David Fromkin). This comprehensive account of the War is both analytical and on occasions a justification from the author for his part in the proceedings. It is claimed that Churchill suggested this work was "not history, but a contribution to history." Since its publication both biographers and historians have considered it Churchill's masterpiece, eclipsing his better-known account 'The Second World War'; T. E. Lawrence regarded the second volume, 1915, as "far and away the best war-book I've yet read."
The World Crisis 1911-1914; The World Crisis 1915; The World Crisis 1916-1918 Part One and Part Two; The World Crisis. The Aftermath; The World Crisis. The Eastern Front.
$2,500.00
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