The Second World War: The Gathering Storm; Their Finest Hour; The Grand Alliance; The Hinge of Fate; Closing the Ring; Triumph and Tragedy.

CHURCHILL, Winston S.

Item Number: 136767

London: Cassell & Company, 1948-54.

First editions of Churchill’s World War II masterpiece. Octavo, six volumes, original black cloth, patterned endpapers, maps present. Boldly signed by the author on the half-title page of volume four, “Winston S. Churchill 1952.” From the library of Churchill’s friend and colleague, the long-serving Labour politician Christopher Addison (1869-1951) and his wife Lady Dorothy Addison (1895-1982) with their bookplate to volume four. Initially both ministers in Lloyd George’s Liberal government, Churchill and Christopher Addison parted ways politically after 1922, Churchill switching to the Conservatives, Addison to Labour. Although then political rivals, their friendship extended over forty years (O’Morgan, p. 280). Addison served as minister of munitions (1916-17), of reconstruction (1917-19), of health (1919-21), and of agriculture (1930-31), among other posts, as well as serving as lord keeper of the privy seal (1947-51) and leader of the House of Lords (1945-51). The most notable doctor ever to be involved in British politics, he played a much underestimated part, in two periods of war and reconstruction, in making Britain a welfare democracy and a more humane society (ODNB). Between 1910 and 1922, Churchill and Viscount Addison maintained amicable relations as fellow reforming Liberals and then as Liberal coalitionist supporters of David Lloyd George. Their main difference was over intervention in Bolshevik Russia. Churchill was by far the more charismatic figure, yet Addison also enjoyed a long ministerial career. In Lloyd George’s government, Addison was initially minister of munitions, a post he held from December 1916 until Churchill succeeded him on 17 July 1917. Addison was supportive when Lloyd George strengthened the Liberal part of the coalition government and saw Churchill’s return as especially important. He also continued to be one of the main organizers of Lloyd George’s support within the Liberal Party, and he and Churchill usually agreed about political issues (Wrigley, p. 4). In 1937 Addison was elevated to the Lords. In the House of Lords, Addison was a notable critic of appeasement. Through Wing Commander Charles Torr Anderson, one of Churchill’s advisers on defense, Addison was briefed on matters concerning power. Anderson informed Addison in March 1938 that Churchill deemed him ‘a good ally to have’. Addison in turn gave input into the Labour Party leadership’s thinking on air defense (ibid. pp. 4-5). Churchill did not offer Addison a ministerial post in his wartime government but did offer him the post of vice chairman of the Development Commission, which Addison declined in order to concentrate on the Lords. Addison held further ministerial posts under Attlee. Christopher and Dorothy married in 1937. The new Lady Addison manifestly did not share Addison’s radicalism. However, as a poised and supportive wife she sustained his morale and enduring ambition. They lived in the village of Radnage, in Buckinghamshire, quite near Chequers (ODNB). Each are fine in near fine to fine dust jackets. An exceptional set, with noted provenance.

"Winston Churchill himself affirmed that ‘this is not history: this is my case" (Holmes, 285). Churchill was re-elected to the post of Prime Minister in 1951. "The Second World War is a great work of literature, combining narrative, historical imagination and moral precept in a form that bears comparison with that of the original master chronicler, Thucydides. It was wholly appropriate that in 1953 Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature" (Keegan). Named by Modern Library as one of the 100 best non-fiction books of the twentieth century. It placed number one on the 100 best non-fiction books of the twentieth century by National Review magazine.