Thoughts and Adventures

London: Thornton Butterworth Limited, 1932. First edition, first printing. Hardcover. This is a beautifully fine jacketed copy of the first edition, first printing – quite scarce thus. Churchill's collection of 23 engaging essays on an incredibly wide variety of subjects was first published in 1932. It has been called "The broadest range of Churchill's thought between two hard covers" and reflects the two qualities that so characterize Churchill's life - a remarkable breadth of both mind and life experience. From the original front flap blurb: "Whether he is dealing with personal reminiscences, or telling us his views on any subject under the sun, Mr. Churchill stamps the page with his own vivid personality." In a 31 May 1932 letter to his publisher about the book, Churchill characterized it thus: "...although there is no one single theme, it has some of the best things in it I have ever written."

The khaki cloth unique to the first printing of this edition is notoriously prone to scuffing, wear, and soiling, the contents proved highly susceptible to spotting, and the first printing dust jacket has become quite scarce in anything approaching collector-worthy condition. This copy is near fine in a near fine dust jacket. The dust jacket is entirely complete and unusually clean. We note only fractional wear to extremities. Spine presentation is impressive, with only a trivial hint of toning and soiling and a tiny scuff to the black rule at the spine head. Short closed tears of approximately .75 inch at the upper hinges and lower front hinge disappear beneath the removable, archival quality clear dust jacket protector. The book beneath is clean and bright as only jacketed copies can be. The khaki cloth binding is exceptional – square, strikingly clean, and vividly bright with sharp corners. The contents remain crisp and bright. The book feels unread. We find no previous ownership marks. Differential toning to the endpapers corresponding to the dust jacket flaps confirms that this copy has spent life jacketed. Spotting endemic to this edition is exceptionally light within, where it is confined to the endsheets and prelims. Externally, spotting is light on the otherwise bright fore and bottom edges, heavier to the top edge.

Reference: Cohen A95.1.a, Woods/ICS A39(aa.1), Langworth p.156.