Complied by Randolph S. Churchill (volume one) and Charles Eade. Seven volumes, frontispieces to the first 6 volumes, illustrations throughout. First editions. 8vo. Recent half red morocco with red cloth covered boards, spines with five single raised bands, the second and fourth panels lettered in gilt on black morocco labels, the rest with gilt stamped rampant lions, marbled endpapers. London, Cassell, 1941.
A handsomely bound set of Churchill's War Speeches, an extraordinary record of the twentieth century's greatest orator, full of memorable phrases many of which have entered into common parlance. At the age of 23 Churchill wrote a small essay on the art of the rhetorician, 'The Scaffolding of Rhetoric', where he theorised on the 'independent force' achievable through powerful speech-making, achieving the right result by 'use of a 'rapid succession of waves of sound and rapid pictures'. Churchill did not use a speechwriter, trusting in his own ability.
Volume one the first issue with pages 78 and 294 unnumbered. A few light pencilled annotations to rear of Vol. 1, some faint spotting to front and rear endpapers of the last few volumes, otherwise internally clean. A very attractive set.
