CHURCHILL, Winston S. Document signed ("Winston S. Churchill"), London, 12 October 1938. 3 pages, folio, signed only by Churchill, six pence stamp and pencil notations in an unknown hand on the first page .
CHURCHILL, Winston S. Document signed ("Winston S. Churchill"), London, 12 October 1938. 3 pages, folio, signed only by Churchill, six pence stamp and pencil notations in an unknown hand on the first page . CHURCHILL'S CONTRACT FOR THE UNWRITTEN EUROPE SINCE THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION, IN PARTS "IF BECAUSE OF EXIGENCIES THE COMPLETE MATERIAL...IS NOT DELIVERED READY FOR PRESS WITHIN SIX YEARS..." Churchill--less than two weeks after Chamberlain's capitulation at Munich--agrees to the appearance in parts of his projected three-volume history of Europe since 1917. We sold in these rooms on 15 November 2011 (lot 18) the 9 June 1938 contract for the three-volume edition issued by Harrap. The work in parts was to be brought out by George Newnes Ltd., publisher of The Strand , and was to appear six months before the third and final printed volume. But given the world situation, Churchill must have had a strong premonition that he would be torn from his writing desk by the outbreak of war with Germany. The publishers did as well, as they included in both contracts a penalty clause: "if because of exigencies the complete material...is not delivered ready for press within six years," Churchill would have to pay back his £1,500 advance with interest. That, of course, is exactly what happened. In a monumental display of stupidity, Harrap litigated aggressively against Churchill to force him into completing a project in which he no longer had any interest. He gladly gave back the advance, saying "I do not want to have any further dealings of any kind with them." He took his multi-million dollar history of the Second World War to Macmillan and Cassells instead.
CHURCHILL, Winston S. Document signed ("Winston S. Churchill"), London, 12 October 1938. 3 pages, folio, signed only by Churchill, six pence stamp and pencil notations in an unknown hand on the first page .
CHURCHILL, Winston S. Document signed ("Winston S. Churchill"), London, 12 October 1938. 3 pages, folio, signed only by Churchill, six pence stamp and pencil notations in an unknown hand on the first page . CHURCHILL'S CONTRACT FOR THE UNWRITTEN EUROPE SINCE THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION, IN PARTS "IF BECAUSE OF EXIGENCIES THE COMPLETE MATERIAL...IS NOT DELIVERED READY FOR PRESS WITHIN SIX YEARS..." Churchill--less than two weeks after Chamberlain's capitulation at Munich--agrees to the appearance in parts of his projected three-volume history of Europe since 1917. We sold in these rooms on 15 November 2011 (lot 18) the 9 June 1938 contract for the three-volume edition issued by Harrap. The work in parts was to be brought out by George Newnes Ltd., publisher of The Strand , and was to appear six months before the third and final printed volume. But given the world situation, Churchill must have had a strong premonition that he would be torn from his writing desk by the outbreak of war with Germany. The publishers did as well, as they included in both contracts a penalty clause: "if because of exigencies the complete material...is not delivered ready for press within six years," Churchill would have to pay back his £1,500 advance with interest. That, of course, is exactly what happened. In a monumental display of stupidity, Harrap litigated aggressively against Churchill to force him into completing a project in which he no longer had any interest. He gladly gave back the advance, saying "I do not want to have any further dealings of any kind with them." He took his multi-million dollar history of the Second World War to Macmillan and Cassells instead.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
