The World Crisis, full set of six British first edition, first printings, with a pre-publication inscription to a close associate and friend in the third book by Winston S. Churchill - 1923

London: Thornton Butterworth Limited, 1923. First edition, first printing. Hardcover. This is a full set of six British first edition, first printings of Churchill's monumental history of the First World War, inscribed and dated in the third book by Churchill (two days before publication) to his "oldest friend" Jack Seely. Inked on the ffep of 1916-1918 Part I in four lines is "Jack Seely / from / Winston S. Churchill / 1.3.27". John Edward Bernard Seely (1868-1947), 1st Baron Mottistone CB, CMG, DSO, PC, TD, was Churchill's close friend, comrade in arms, and political ally for nearly half a century. His life and career remarkably parallel and entwine Churchill's, with a particularly strong bond during the First World War, both in politics and on the Front. As boys, Seely and Churchill both attended Harrow. Both earned distinction in the Boer War and parlayed war records into election to Parliament in the "Khaki election" of 1900. Churchill and Seely quickly became political allies and confidantes. Both left the Conservative party, becoming Liberals in 1904. Both joined the Liberal Government Cabinet in 1908. In 1911 Churchill became First Lord of the Admiralty and in 1912 Seely became Secretary of State for War. Both were forced out of the Cabinet - Seely for the Curragh Incident in 1914 and Churchill for the Dardanelles in 1915 - and both subsequently chose to serve on the Front. While on active service in Europe, the two friends arranged to see one another often and continued to correspond throughout the war. In 1916, Churchill wrote to Seely "Good luck to you my dear - count on me if the moment comes when I am worth anything again." Churchill was the first to be politically rehabilitated, returning to the Cabinet as Minister of Munitions in 1917. Seely would write from Flanders "I am so glad, not only for your sake who at last have an outlet for energies and talents, but even more for all of us who want so badly just what you can give." While Seely continued to serve with gallant distinction, Churchill faithfully advocated for a Ministerial appointment for him. In 1918, after retiring from active military service, Seely campaigned for Churchill in Dundee. When Churchill became Secretary of State for Air and War in 1919, he brought in Seely as Under-Secretary for Air. Though Seely chafed at his failure to secure his own ministry and ultimately resigned in frustration, the friendship endured. Churchill wrote to Seely "I did whatever was in my power wh sincere & old friendship suggested to assist yr return from the military to the political arena. Had greater offices been in my sphere of influence, I wd have found one for you." In 1924, both Seely and Churchill rejoined the Conservative Party. In 1927, when this book was inscribed, Churchill was Chancellor of the Exchequer and Seely Chairman of the National Savings Commission (a post he held from 1926-1943). Two years later, Churchill wrote to Stanley Baldwin urging that Seely be given a peerage; Seely was created Baron Mottistone in 1933. The inscribed 1916-1918 Part I book is in near-fine condition. The binding is square, clean, and tight, with only very light shelf wear and minor wrinkling at the spine ends. The contents are bright and crisp. Spotting is mostly confined to the prelims and page edges, of course including the inscribed ffep. Nonetheless, the inscription is excellent, with no age-spreading or smudging of the ink. The remaining five volumes make this a very nice set indeed with superior spine presentation. The bindings are uniformly clean with bright gilt and only light shelf wear, mostly confined to extremities. The contents are uniformly clean and tight. Light spotting is confined to text block edges and the prelims of two volumes. The Eastern Front and The Aftermath both have a single neat previous owner name inked on the ffep. The 1911-1914 volume bears an inked inscription on the ffep dated 4 May 1923. We find no other ownership marks. Bibliographic reference: A69.2(I-VI).a, Woods/ICS A31(ab), Langworth p.105