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The River War.

CHURCHILL, Winston S.

  • Published: 1899 , London: Longmans, Green & Co.,
London: Longmans, Green & Co.,, 1899. A tale of blood and war First edition of Churchill's second book, based on his own role as a war reporter in the Anglo-Egyptian reconquest of Sudan. "Arguably the most aesthetically beautiful of original trade editions of Churchill's books, The River War is a brilliant history of British involvement in the Sudan and the campaign for its reconquest: arresting, insightful, with tremendous narrative and descriptive power... [the] features of that now distant campaign Churchill impressively captures in precise detail and exciting narrative, including his own role in the last great cavalry charge of British history. Finely written chapters trace the history of the Sudan, the rise of the Mahdi, the martyr's death of Gordon and, apparently not much exaggerated, the author's adventures" (Langworth, p. 27). Churchill himself calls it, in the first sentence, "a tale of blood and war". This copy has the second state of vol. II p. 459 as usual, with an added quotation mark. 2 vols, octavo. Photogravure portrait frontispiece to each vol. and 5 similar plates (further photogravure in text), 23 colour maps and battles plans of which 20 folding, other maps and illustrations to the text. Without the publisher's catalogue sometimes found. Original dark blue cloth, titles and pictorial decoration gilt to spines and front boards, black endpapers, top edges rough-trimmed. Contemporary bookplate to front pastedowns and signature to half-titles of one W. N. Black. A little rubbed, scattered light foxing, joints and hinges intact without repair: a very good copy, much squarer and tighter than often found, vol. II partly unopened. Cohen A2.1.b; Woods A2(a). Richard M. Langworth, A Connoisseur's Guide to the Books of Sir Winston Churchill, 1998.

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