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Churchill, Winston S. Ian Hamilton's March.. Longman's, Green, and Co, London, 1900.

Price: US$1800.00 + shipping

Description: First edition of Churchill's fifth book, a continuation of his coverage of the Boer War which he began in London to Ladysmith via Pretoria. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery, gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt signature to the front panel, gilt inner dentelles stamp-signed by the Harcourt Bindery, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt,engraved frontispiece portrait of Ian Hamilton, folding map in color and 4 pages of advertisements for Churchill's works at rear. In fine condition. The sequel to Churchill's popular London to Ladysmith via Pretoria, Ian Hamilton's March "describes the fighting march of Ian Hamilton's mounted division from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg (Churchill rode a bicycle into 'Jo'burg' a day before the army arrived) and on to Pretoria, where the author was able to help liberate his former fellow prisoners" (Langworth, 58). The work consists of 17 letters Churchill published as a Morning Post correspondent; "in contrast to London to Ladysmith, the texts of the originally published letters were more extensively revised and four letters were included which had never appeared in periodical form" (Cohen A8.1.a).

Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.

Winston S. Churchill. Ian Hamilton's March, the U.S. first edition, only printing, signed by Churchill during his first lecture tour of the U.S. and Canada. Longmans, Green, and Co., New York, 1900.

Price: US$15000.00 + shipping

Description: This is a signed U.S. first edition, only printing of Winston Churchill's fifth book – his final book chronicling his adventures as an itinerant soldier and war correspondent. The young Churchill almost certainly signed this copy in late 1900 or early 1901 during his first North American Lecture tour before he returned to England to take his first seat in Parliament. Condition of this signed copy is good plus – sound, original, and complete despite some typical wear and defects. The red cloth binding remains square and tight with bright gilt and no appreciable color shift between the covers and spine. Overall scuffing is most pronounced to the extremities, and there is a small, dark stain on the front cover. A single, faint, jagged vertical line – one on both the front and rear covers – seem to indicate that the boards were once a bit creased, but the boards nonetheless remain rigid and straight, with no fragility or warping. The contents are respectably clean and complete. The frontispiece, tissue guard, and maps are all intact, including the folding map following the text, though the map was previously mis-folded, as is typical, resulting in some fraying to the edges. The contents show moderate age-toning and the frontispiece was previously creased. Spotting is trivial, primarily confined to the first and final leaves and the fore edges. The gilt top edge is a bit dulled and scuffed, but still distinctly gilt. The outer corners of the front free endpaper recto and final free endpaper verso show tape stains. This copy came to us from a private collection, where it long resided. The tape stains result from a well-intentioned but ill-conceived effort to protect the book. The book was long ago fitted with a homemade glassine wrapper, the inner flaps of which were secured by tape – which of course was not archival and stained the pages against which it lay. The glassine was on the book long enough to have toned and brittled with age and the tape – as evidenced by the stains – to have toned, stiffened, and lost adhesion. We find no previous ownership marks – only the author’s signature. Churchill’s signature, "Winston S. Churchill" in black ink on the upper front free endpaper recto, is consonant in location, style, and characteristics with other Churchill signatures in books signed during his first North American Lecture tour. The ink remains distinct, with no significant age-spreading or toning.In October 1899, the second Boer War erupted in South Africa between descendants of Dutch settlers and the British. As an adventure-seeking young cavalry officer and war correspondent, Churchill swiftly found himself in South Africa with the 21st Lancers and an assignment as press correspondent to the Morning Post. Soon thereafter, on 15 November 1899, Churchill was captured during a Boer ambush of an armored train. His daring escape less than a month later made him a celebrity and helped launch his political career.Churchill returned from South Africa in July 1900 and spent the summer campaigning hard in Oldham, winning his first seat in Parliament on 1 October 1900. His first North American lecture tour swiftly followed. Churchill's lecture tour of the United States and Canada was intended to improve his finances at a time when MPs received no salary.Churchill arrived in New York on board the Lucania on December 8, 1900. Ian Hamilton’s March, Churchill's second and final Boer War book, published in the U.S. on 26 November 1900, was perfectly suited to his lectures. This U.S. first edition had the further advantage of being available for sale in the United States concurrent with Churchill’s tour. Nonetheless, this is only the second signed copy of the U.S. first edition of Ian Hamilton’s March we have encountered, perhaps owing to the small print run.PLEASE NOTE THAT A CONSIDERABLY MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THIS ITEM IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. Reference: Cohen A8.2, Woods/ICS A5(ca), Langworth p.61.

Seller: Churchill Book Collector ABAA/ILAB/IOBA, San Diego, CA, U.S.A.

Winston S. Churchill. Ian Hamilton's March, inscribed and dated in January 1901 by Churchill during his first lecture tour of the U.S. and Canada. Longmans, Green, and Co., New York, 1900.

Price: US$20000.00 + shipping

Description: This is an inscribed U.S. first edition, only printing of Winston Churchill's fifth book, the second of two books based on his despatches sent from the front in South Africa during the Boer War. This was the final book from Churchill’s early career as an itinerant calvary officer and war correspondent. This copy was inscribed by then-twenty-six-year-old Churchill in Chicago on 10 January 1901 during Churchill's first lecture tour of North America. The signature, in black ink in four lines on the upper half-title, reads: "Winston S. Churchill | to | F. Wight Neuman Esq. | 10.1.1901". Such early signatures in first editions of Churchill's early works are quite scarce, even more so for U.S. first editions.The U.S. first edition saw only a single printing bound in pebble grain red buckram which proved susceptible to blotchy wear and discoloration, particularly on the spine. The number sold is unclear, but seems to be fewer than 1,500. Condition of this copy would render it collector-worthy, independent of the author's signature. The red cloth binding remains unusually clean and tight, with sharp corners, and bright gilt and only trivial wear to extremities. The spine toning and uneven coloration endemic to this edition is mild. The spine retains excellent color and vivid gilt, with only a barely discernible hint of uniform toning and modest instances of the typical discoloration. The contents remain uncommonly bright and crisp. A trace of spotting is confined to the frontispiece tissue guard and the fore edge. The top edge gilt remains bright. Other than the author's inscription, the sole previous ownership mark we find is a half dozen illegible, tiny pencil script letters at the upper left rear pastedown that we have refrained from erasing just in case some future owner may be able to decipher them. The inscription remains clear and bright, with minimal age spreading on a bright and otherwise unmarked half title page. The date is written with European, rather than U.S. precedence, with the month "1" following the day "10" making the date of inscription 10 January 1901. It is interesting to note that Churchill omits the second "n" at the end of Neumann's name and it appears as if he initially misspelled the name as "Newman, with a bit of extra ink at the "um" transition seeming a possible attempt to correct the spelling error as it was being inked.Unlike so many signed copies, we have provenance going back to the time of signing; the book remained in Neumann's family until 2003, when ownership transferred from Neumann's grandson, Sterling E. Selz, to his friend and fellow collector John Patrick Ford (1927-2018), from whom it was in turn acquired by the present owner.In October 1900, Churchill had won his first seat in Parliament partly on the strength of his celebrity as a Boer War hero, having been captured and made a daring escape. Churchill's lecture tour of the United States and Canada was intended to improve his finances at a time when MPs received no salary.Churchill arrived in New York on board the Lucania on December 8, 1900. German-born F. Wight Neumann (1851-1924) was a Chicago-based impresario, "one of the most noted impresarios in America" and "friend of virtually every prominent musician in the country" who "brought all of the great artists of the world to Chicago."(Chicago Daily Tribune, 23 October 1924 Obituary) Also appearing under his management in Chicago were select authors, among them the young Winston Churchill. Arriving in Chicago on the morning of 10 January 1901, Churchill lectured that evening on "The Boer War as I Saw It" at Central Music Hall and was entertained after his lecture by "forty members of the University Club at an informal reception in the club grillroom."Churchill's second and final Boer War book, published in the U.S. on 26 November 1900, would have been both available at the time and perfectly suited to his lecture.Reference: Cohen A8.2, Woods/ICS A5(ca), Langworth p.61.

Seller: Churchill Book Collector ABAA/ILAB/IOBA, San Diego, CA, U.S.A.