The War Speeches of the Rt. Hon. Winston S. Churchill, a presentation set inscribed by the compiler, Charles Eade to Conservative Member of Parliament and newspaper magnate Esmond Cecil Harmsworth, second Viscount Rothermere

London: Cassell and Company Ltd., 1952. First edition, first printing. Hardcover. This is the first edition, first printing of the three-volume "definitive" edition of Churchill's war speeches, a presentation set inscribed by the compiler, Charles Eade, to newspaper magnate Viscount Rothermere. The six-line inked inscription on the Volume One front free endpaper recto reads: "To | Viscount Rothermere | From | the Compiler | Charles Eade | September 3, 1952.” This set is triply compelling – for condition, as a Compiler’s presentation copy, and for its recipient, an important Churchill association.

Condition is near fine in near fine dust jackets. The blue cloth bindings are square, clean, and tight with only trivial shelf wear confined to extremities. The contents are likewise notably clean, with no spotting and no previous ownership marks apart from the presentation inscription. The dust jackets are unclipped and complete, with no losses – only light soiling and barely discernible color shift between the faces and spines. The dust jackets are protected beneath clear, removable, archival covers.

Between 1941 and 1946, Churchill's war speeches were published in seven individual volumes. Charles Eade (1903-1964) played a critical role in their original publication, as well as in this edition issued during Churchill's second premiership. A noted figure in British journalism, in 1938 Eade became editor of the Sunday Dispatch, a post he held until 1957. Eade was also an early radio sports commentator, and during the Second World War served as public relations advisor to Louis Mountbatten. In 1942 Eade stepped in as compiler of Churchill's wartime speech volumes, replacing Churchill's son, Randolph, who had been called to wartime service. Notably, he offered his services free of charge, stating, "my reward for the task would be the pleasure of doing it" (7 May 1941 letter from Charles Eade to Kathleen Hill). Eade ultimately edited six of the seven wartime volumes - all except the first, Into Battle. For this "definitive" three-volume edition of Churchill's war speeches, Eade returned to the role. Eade later served as editor for Churchill By His Contemporaries.

Esmond Cecil Harmsworth, second Viscount Rothermere (1898-1978), served as Aide-de-Camp to Lloyd George at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference as a Conservative Member of Parliament for nearly a decade (1920-1929) before choosing to concentrate on newspaper business interests. His father was Harrold Sidney Harmsworth, first Viscount Rothermere (1868-1940), a newspaper proprietor known for his pre-war fascist and appeasement sympathies. His uncle was the publishing magnate Alfred Charles William Harmsworth, Viscount Northcliffe (1865-1922), who rose from freelance journalist to head the world's largest periodical publishing empire, Associated Newspapers, which at its peak included the London Evening News, Sunday Dispatch, Daily Mirror, and The Times. All three men were, of course, associates of Winston Churchill. By 1932 Viscount Rothermere was Chairman of Associated Newspapers, by 1934 he was elected chairman of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association and by 1940 had succeeded his father, from which point he and Lord Beaverbrook were the two titans of British mass-circulation press.

In 1952, during Churchill's second premiership, the publisher reissued the War Speeches as this new, three-volume edition, which may be considered superior to the original seven-volume wartime editions in both aesthetics and content. Eade modified many speech titles, adding several speeches, and eliminating several for which he deemed "time has reduced their significance." The speeches "are linked, where necessary, with brief notes to form a complete, chronological story." Most welcome is the addition of an index, not present in the original wartime volumes. The three tall volumes (10 x 6.35 inches) are bound in smooth, dark blue cloth with stout boards and gilt spine print and wrapped in uniform dust jackets.

Reference: Cohen A263.1(I-III).a, Woods/ICS A136(a.1), Langworth p.303.