Books

First edition, first impression, of Churchill's account of his travels around British East Africa in the autumn of 1907: the first book to derive purely from his journalism, as distinct from his work as a war correspondent. Churchill had in 1905 been appointed under-secretary at the Colonial Office. His East African expedition began as a private hunting trip, but it soon evolved into a quasi-official examination of colonial affairs within Kenya and Uganda. The work was initially serialized in the Strand Magazine. Churchill's contract was highly lucrative, reflecting his celebrity status as a rising political star. The account is highly readable and "bubbles with Churchill's irrepressible interest in everything new, whether it was the thrill of hunting rhino, the dangers of sleeping sickness, or the engagingly extempore justice of the District Officers" (Woods, p. 81). Octavo (181 x 119 mm). Finely bound by the Chelsea Bindery in burgundy morocco, spine lettered and decorated with lion central tool, raised bands, single rule to boards gilt, signature block to front board gilt, roll to turn-ins gilt, marbled endpapers, gilt edges. With three maps and sixty-one illustrations from photographs by Churchill and Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon Wilson. Couple of leaves ever so slightly foxed, an excellent copy in a fine binding. .

My African Journey is the book written by Winston Churchill documenting his travels and experiences during a tour of the British Empire. In this work, Churchill offers his observations on the people, wildlife, and natural beauty of the regions he visited, particularly in parts of what are now Uganda and Kenya.