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Description: First edition, presentation copy to Churchill's valet and companion of many years, inscribed by the author on the half-title, "Thomas Walden from Winston S. Churchill". Contemporary presentation copies of Churchill's first book are exceedingly rare. Thomas Walden (1868-1921) was the long-serving valet of Churchill's father, Lord Randolph. When Randolph died in 1895, Walden switched to serving Winston, "accompanying him to all his wars and taking care of him" (Lee & Lee, 2010, p. 193). He travelled with Churchill to South Africa in 1899. Churchill was with Walden when he was captured by the Boers, and Walden wrote to his mother to tell her the news. When Churchill entered government, Walden acted as his personal messenger. Walden served Churchill until his death in 1921. After his funeral, Churchill wrote to his wife "Alas my dearest I grieve to have lost this humble friend devoted and true whom I have known since I was a youth", and told her he had "wept bitterly" along with the rest of the household - as Andrew Roberts notes, "few other aristocrats of the day would have described their manservant as a friend and wept for them" (Roberts, p. 286). The Story of the Malakand Field Force is based on Churchill's reports as correspondent for the Daily Telegraph on Sir Bindon Blood's punitive 1897 expedition against the Afghan tribesmen of the north-west frontier, during which he "took part in several skirmishes in which he came under fire and witnessed acts of barbarism by both sides" (ODNB). Presentation copies with contemporary signatures are extremely rare - this is the first we have handled. Auction records show only two other possible presentation copies, and the signatures in both were most likely secretarial. Churchill tended to sign copies of Malakand much later in life. This copy is the home issue (copies were also bound for export in cloth and in wrappers, both designated "Longmans' Colonial Library" on the front cover). It is in the second state, with the errata slip which is absent in the first. Provenance: the book comes from the two of the greatest Winston Churchill collections: that of Donald Scott Carmichael (bookplate to chemise) and the collection of Steve Forbes. It was sold at Sotheby's in 1970 (6 July, lot 311). Cohen A1.1.b; Langworth, pp. 12-14; Woods A1a. Celia Lee & John Lee, The Churchills: A Family Portrait, 2010; Andrew Roberts, Churchill, 2019. Octavo. Original green cloth, spine lettered in gilt within blind panel, front cover lettered in gilt on recessed panel, black endpapers. Housed in green quarter morocco slipcase and chemise. Half-tone portrait frontispiece with tissue-guard, 6 maps (2 folding and in colour). With 32-page publisher's catalogue at rear dated "3/98" (copies also found with catalogue dated "12/97"). Cloth slightly soiled with ring stain on front cover, front inner hinge a little tender, front free endpaper loosening a little, contents generally toned and slightly foxed, minor staining to a few plates, notwithstanding still a very good copy of a book very prone to soiling and wear, here without any repair or restoration.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom