Books

First British edition in book form, first impression, second state. Savrola was Churchill's only novel, the first book he undertook to write, and his third publication overall. "Whether they deem it a key indication of Churchill's innermost philosophy and political morality or just a yarn, Savrola continues to exert a grip on devotees of the canon" (Langworth, p. 39). Churchill's melodramatic tale of liberal revolution in an autocratic Mediterranean state was originally serialised in Macmillan's Magazine between May and December 1899. It was first published in book form in New York on 1 February 1900, possibly as US law required a books with foreign authors to be manufactured in America to ensure copyright protection. The British edition appeared on 13 February, with 1,500 copies printed, including 650 sets of sheets transferred from the Colonial Library issue, which were consequently given a cancel title with the verso blank. This copy is in the second state; copies in the first state retain the copyright notice "Copyright, 1899, by Longmans, Green, and Co." on the title verso. The ownership signature dated February 1900 concurs with Woods' assertion that the first and second states are "simultaneous states of the first issue". Octavo. Original green cloth, spine lettered in gilt, title and facsimile signature in gilt to front cover within blind frame, black endpapers. W. H. Smith blind stamp to front free endpaper, pencilled ownership signature to front free endpaper dated month of publication. Light rubbing at extremities, foxing to edges and contents, short closed tear at fore edge of pp. 291/2: a very good copy. Cohen A3.2.b; Woods A3(b). Richard Langworth, A Connoisseur's Guide to the Books of Sir Winston Churchill, 1998.

A gripping story of Savrola, a resilient leader fighting for freedom in a turbulent revolution.