The End of the Beginning. de CHURCHILL, Winston S - 1943: War Speeches. 1942. Compiled by Charles Eade.

London: Cassell and Company Ltd,, 1943. Presented to his wartime private secretary First edition, first impression, presentation copy, in the publisher's deluxe presentation morocco and signed by Churchill on the initial binder's blank, for John Peck, his wartime private secretary. Peck (1913-1995) joined the Civil Service in 1936. When Churchill became prime minister in May 1940, Peck was appointed as one of four private secretaries. He was the only private secretary to serve Churchill throughout the war. Peck briefly served Attlee following Churchill's defeat in the 1945 election, and was transferred to the Foreign Office in 1946. He held a number of subsequent roles, concluding as British Ambassador to Dublin from 1970 to 1973. For each volume of Churchill's war speeches, a small number were bound specially for presentation, with these rarely encountered in commerce. Peck received a series of volumes signed and specially bound in the presentation bindings from Churchill; they are not otherwise marked as his. Octavo. Original dark blue morocco, spine lettered in gilt, watered silk endpapers, top edge gilt. Housed in a burgundy cloth flat-back box by the Chelsea Bindery. With 3 half-tone photographic plates including frontispiece. Slight rubbing. A very good copy. Cohen A183.1a (Cohen does not note this deluxe issue).