Books

The opening volumes of Churchill's great biography, both signed and dated 1943 on the front free endpaper by Churchill during the Quebec Conference. Mounted to the front pastedown of volume I is a typed letter signed from Clementine Churchill, 23 August 1943 on The Citadel, Quebec stationery: "My dear Mrs. Carrington, Thank you very much for sending me the memorandum, which I will treat as confidential. Here are the books inscribed by Winston. Yours very sincerely, Clementine S. Churchill". The Churchills attended the First Quebec Conference, codenamed Quadrant, to plan Operation Overlord. The recipient of these volumes was Gwendoline Carrington, the wife of Philip Carrington, Anglican Archbishop of Quebec. They were guests at a state dinner attended by Churchill, Roosevelt, and the Canadian premier Mackenzie King on 19 August at the Citadel, where the conference was held. The memorandum to which Clementine refers in her letter may have been related to Archbishop Carrington's public criticism of Roosevelt and Churchill's failure to engage with Quebec locals. He levelled the charge in his cathedral sermon on 22 August, which garnered international attention ("Bishop of Quebec deplores secrecy", in The New York Times, 23 August 1943). Gwendoline has written her name on the front free endpaper of Volume I alongside her date of acquisition, Christmas 1933, and the front pastedown of volume II. She later re-presented the volumes, inscribing on each rear pastedown "Presented by Mrs Carrington to Imogen Thomas August 9 1971 with love from Aunt Gwen". The signature of Imogen Thomas dated 29 July 1975 is on the front free endpaper verso of the first volume, and front pastedown of the second, and the blindstamp of Bishopthorpe, Quebec is on both front free endpapers. Churchill's biography of the first Duke of Marlborough was published in four volumes between 1933 and 1938. Here, volume I is the first edition, second printing (published the same month as the first), vol. II is the first Canadian edition (issued from the sheets of the first British edition). Provenance: the collection of Steve Forbes. READ MORE Two volumes, large octavo. Original purple cloth, spines lettered in gilt. Spines a little sunned, vol. I a very good copy, head of spine of vol. II worn with loss, front inner hinge of same split, a poor copy. Cohen A97.2(I).b. & A97.3.

Marlborough: His Life and Times is a comprehensive biography of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, written by Winston Churchill. The work details the Duke's military campaigns and personal life.