Books

London: Thornton Butterworth Limited, 1937. First edition, first printing. Full leather. This is a finely bound copy of the first edition, first printing. Great Contemporaries is 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. The half-leather navy blue Morocco goatskin binding (deferential to the original blue cloth) features a hubbed spine with blind-rule framed raised bands, a gilt-printed title, author, and publication date, and a gilt lion rampant in each unprinted spine compartment. The sides are navy buckram with double blind ruled transitions. The contents are bound with blue and white silk head and tail bands and gilt top edges. Condition is near fine. The binding is square, clean, tight, and unfaded, with no discernible wear. Incidental blemishes seem inherent to the goatskin. The first printing contents are well-suited to a fine binding, crisp and…