THE WORLD CRISIS
-Odhams Press Deluxe Two-Volume Reprint Edition in Dust Jackets-
1939
First English Odhams Deluxe Edition
Odhams Press [London]
Biblio: (Cohen A69.11.a) (Woods A31fa)
8vo
Hardcover in Dust Jackets [Dark Red Crackle-Grain cloth]
Item Number: 212328
$1,000.00
Collector's Guide
The World Crisis is Churchill’s highly subjective history of the First World War. Comprising five volumes (in six books) written over eight years, the initial titles were first published in the U.S. (by a matter of days), making the American edition the true first edition. Volume I (1911-1914) and Volume II (1915) were published in 1923. Volume III (1916-1918 ) was published in two parts in 1927 (hence the five/in six volumes ultimate format). Volume IV (The Aftermath 1918-1928) was published in 1929; and Volume V (The Unknown War/The Eastern Front) in 1931. A one-volume abridgment by the author was soon issued. Most subsequent re-issues have been incomplete, abridged, or otherwise condensed versions of the original text.
Description
This is a virtually mint set in the exceedingly rare dust jackets of the handsome two-volume wartime reprint edition published by Odhams Press in January 1939. Not an abridgment, the books contain the complete text of THE WORLD CRISIS, Volumes I through III, with alterations and a new Foreword by the author. THE AFTERMATH [Volume IV] and THE UNKNOWN WAR [Volume V] are not included.
The striking pictorial orange jackets, so rarely seen, are present, unclipped and in excellent condition, with light edge-chipping to both and fractional loss to Volume II jacket only. The cloth and bindings are crisp, clean and tight, the frontis gilt facsimile signature of Winston Churchill and gilt titles on both covers are impeccably bright. The contents are fine.
About as good as it gets for this rarity.