I Escape.
England: No publisher or printer indicated, c. 1942. First edition, only printing. Wraps. This extremely rare Second World War publication is the first edition, only printing of then-British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill’s escape from captivity during the Boer War, four decades earlier. The publication is 32 pages bound in mottled greenish blue wire-stitched card wraps with the title and author printed in blue on the front cover. The text is that of Chapters XXI and XXII of the first edition of Churchill’s memoir, My Early Life, originally published in 1930 (found at pages 3-31).
Testifying to its rarity, just a single copy of this publication is cited by Churchill’s bibliographer, Ronald I. Cohen, who dates publication to 1942. (Bibliography of the Writings of Sir Winston Churchill, Vol. I, A170, pp.602-3) This is the only copy we have ever been able to offer.
Not only rare, this copy features compelling provenance. The sole previous ownership mark is the rectangular ink stamp on the front cover which reads, in three lines: “INTELLIGENCE | LIBRARY | R.A.F. WARBOYS.” RAF Warboys was originally a conventional British bomber station, begun in 1940 and completed in 1941. In 1942, RAF Warboys became one of the first Pathfinder stations. The Pathfinders were target-marking squadrons, which located and market targets with flares at which a main bomber force could aim.
Condition is very good. The wraps are complete and still firmly attached by the two original binding staples, which show no appreciable rust. The wraps are lightly soiled, creased, and toned. The contents remain clean, with ownership marks (apart from the aforementioned front cover ink stamp), no spotting, and only light age-toning.
In October 1899, the second Boer War erupted between the British and descendants of Dutch settlers in South Africa. Churchill swiftly found himself in South Africa with the 21st Lancers as press correspondent to the Morning Post. On 15 November 1899 Churchill was captured during a Boer ambush of an armored train. His daring escape less than a month later made him a celebrity. Following his escape from the State Model School in Pretoria, Churchill was sheltered for several days in collieries east of Pretoria, after which he was smuggled aboard a train carrying bales of wool. Eventually the train carried Churchill to Lourenco Marques in Portuguese East Africa. There Churchill boarded the steamer Induna and sailed for Durban, where he was enthusiastically received upon arrival on 25 December 1899.
This publication is Churchill’s own account of his incarceration and escape. It has been previously speculated that presence of this particular publication at a British bomber station indicated that it may have been intended as an airdrop propaganda item to encourage Allied POWs in their escape plans. We have no evidence to substantiate this speculation, but it does intrigue. Irrespective of its purpose, the publication is as compelling as it is elusive. Item #008155
Price: $3,500.00