The Second World War.

Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company,, 1948-53. Inscribed to his old friend and Bezique rival An excellent presentation set of Churchill's wartime memoirs, inscribed in four volumes by the author to Sylvia Henley, "one of those who had known Churchill best, and longest... a frequent guest at Chartwell" (Gilbert, p.307). Four volumes are inscribed by the author: "For Sylvia from Winston 1948" (Vol. I), "For Sylvia from Winston 1951" (Vol. IV), "To Sylvia from Winston S. Churchill 1952" (Vol. V), and "Sylvia from Winston 1954 Bezique Grand Cup" (Vol. VI). Sylvia has noted in pencil after the inscription in the sixth volume "This refers to W's victory over me at Chartwell Jan 3 1954". Sylvia Henley (1882-1980) was Clementine Churchill's cousin, with whom she had a particularly "strong and long-lasting friendship" (Jenkins, p. 138). Along with Jock Colville, Sylvia was one of Churchill's most frequent and favoured Bezique opponents; Bezique was Churchill's favourite game, he was an expert player and inevitably devilishly competitive. During the war it provided a welcome distraction, and he played for hours on end. After the war he continued to play it almost daily and kept a meticulous account of scores and victories. The set is comprised of the first US editions, including first printings of Volumes II-IV and VI, a third printing of Volume I, and a later printing of Volume V (without date on the title page, removed following the first). The earliest presentation copies are always the US editions, which were published ahead of the UK editions. He was evidently delivered batches of copies by the publisher in a mix of printings. Presentation copies even to key figures are often in subsequent printings. The rear free endpapers have brief pencilled page references. Loosely inserted at the rear of Volume V is a letter from the insurers R. G. Hennell & Sons to Henley. Provenance: the collection of Steve Forbes. Six volumes, octavo. Original red cloth, gilt-lettered spines, front covers with facsimile of Churchill's signature gilt on a black ground, pale red top edges. With supplied dust jackets. Maps and diagrams throughout. Light rubbing and a few nicks at extremities; unclipped jackets with a few minor chips and short closed tears at extremities, light rubbing, else bright: a very good set in very good jackets. Cohen A240.1(I).c, A240.1(II-IV & VI).a [Vol. V a variant not noted by Cohen]; Woods A123(a). Martin Gilbert, In Search of Churchill, 1994; Roy Jenkins, Churchill, 2001.