A very fine association copy, Vol. 1 with a pre-publication presentation inscription from the author to Grace Hamblin OBE (1908-2002), “the longest-serving member of Churchill’s secretarial staff” (Stelzer), in black ink to the half title: ‘To Grace Hamblin from Winston S Churchill 19 Ap 1956’. With a facsimile autograph note on 28 Hyde Park Gate letterhead loosely inserted in Vol. 2 as often used by Churchill.
Grace Hamblin originally served as a junior secretary to Churchill from 1932-1937 during the so-called “Wilderness Years”, briefly leaving the Churchills service in 1937 to care for her aging mother, before returning as Clementine Churchill’s assistant from 1939-1945, accompanying Clementine on her post-war tour of red cross hospitals in the Soviet Union. After the war, Hamblin was appointed secretary and administrator at Chartwell, continuing in her role as Chartwell’s first Curator after the house became a National Trust property in 1966. In 1965, Hamblin was one of the very few non-family members invited to attend Churchill’s burial service at St Martin’s Church, Bladon. “Grace Hamblin died in 2002, aged ninety-four. She had spent seventy of those years working with the Churchills and strengthening and promoting their memory, the longest-serving member of Churchill’s secretarial staff” (Stelzer, Working with Winston, p. 45). Hamblin earned some posthumous notoriety when her apparent role in the suppression of Graham Sutherland’s controversial portrait of Churchill was revealed.
Churchill originally began his history of the British Empire and the United States in 1937 during his ‘wilderness years’ while not serving in government, but the work was interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War and Churchill did not return to it until the 1950s. The War had reconfirmed Churchill’s belief in the ‘special relationship’ between Britain and the United States and, consequently, he gave considerable attention to the key events of American history: around a quarter of the third volume is dedicated to the War of Independence, and a full third of the final volume contains a detailed study of the American Civil War.
A very good copy overall, Vol. 1 with small amount of faint spotting to edges of text block, contents otherwise generally clean and unmarked, jackets rather edge worn, Vol. 3 with substantial loss to foot of spine panel, triangular closed tear to front panel of Vol. 4 resulting in some concertinaing of paper to the affected area.
Cohen, A267.1(I-IV).a
