Books

New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1937. First edition, first printing. Hardcover. This is a jacketed first U.S. edition, first printing, of Churchill's much praised collection of insightful essays about 21 leading personalities of the day - including the likes of Lawrence, Shaw, and, most famously, Hitler. While not quite perfect, this is certainly the best copy we have encountered. Condition is better than near fine in a dust jacket approaching near fine. The blue cloth binding is square, tight, and immaculately clean. We note only mild bruising to the lower corners and some wrinkling to the spine ends. The contents are improbably bright and crisp. The book feels unread. The red top stain remains vividly bright. The untrimmed fore edges are likewise improbably clean, showing not even any appreciable age-toning. Only the endpapers show a little transfer browning – from the pastedown glue. The sole previous ownership marks are contemporary – a man’s name, “Los Angeles” address,…