The Dream, a publisher's presentation "proof copy" of the seventy-five specially prepared for members of the Churchill family in celebration of the one-hundred twentieth anniversary of the birth of Sir Winston Churchill, inscribed by the editor and publisher, Richard Langworth, and his wife in 1996.
Contoocook, New Hampshire: Churchill Literary Foundation / The International Churchill Societies, 1994. Proof copy of the limited issue of the second edition. Full leather. The Dream is Winston Churchill's revealing essay about a ghostly reunion with his father; this is most elusive and desirable version of this essay, particularly special thus – a proof copy, inscribed by the publisher and his wife, Richard and Barbara Langworth. Richard contributed a substantive Foreword to this edition, which provides history and context for Churchill’s text.
The Dream was first published in book form in a limited edition of 500 copies in 1987. A second, paperback, edition was issued in 1994. That 1994 second edition is comparatively unremarkable except for this "Commemorative Edition" specially bound in green leather with pale green marbled endpapers and gilt page edges, bound with two additional leaves, a limitation statement preceding, and colophon following, the text. The 75 Commemorative Edition copies were “for the Churchill family, celebrating the 120th anniversary of Sir Winston’s birth at the Pinafore Room, Hotel Savoy, London on 30 November 1994.”
Instead of being numbered, the limitation statement is inked “Proof Copy” in bold, black calligraphy. On the blank page facing the title page a seven-line inscription is inked in blue: “For Douglas Hall | with grateful thanks for your | talk to the 8th Churchill Tour, | 3 October 1996 | From ICS/USA | & Barbara & Richard | Langworth". Condition of this inscribed proof copy is truly fine. The green leather binding is square, clean, bright, and tight with sharp corners, vivid gilt on the front cover and spine, and no appreciable wear. The contents are immaculately clean and bright with no markings other than the Langworth inscription. Exceptional condition likely owes much to the presence of the original glassine dust wrapper, which is entirely complete, though with mild shelf wear to extremities, including a few tiny closed tears and attendant wrinkles at the spine ends.
The recipient, Douglas Hall, was longtime Churchill memorabilia collector and one of the most respected authorities on "Churchilliana" and author of the indispensible and aptly named reference guide The Book of Churchilliana.
The memory of Richard M. Langworth CBE (1941-2025) is entwined with service to Churchill’s memory and legacy. Among his accomplishments, Richard revived the Churchill Society, edited 140 issues of the Churchill Society’s quarterly publication Finest Hour, was a Churchill-specialist bookseller, and authored A Connoisseur’s Guide to the Books of Sir Winston Churchill and five books of Churchill quotations. In 1998, Richard was rewarded by Her Majesty the Queen with a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) “for services to Anglo-American understanding and the memory of Sir Winston Churchill.” When he died, Richard was serving as a Senior Fellow for the Churchill Project at Hillsdale College.
Winston Churchill's father, Lord Randolph, died in January 1895 at age 45 following the spectacular collapse of both his health and political career. His son Winston was 20 years old. Of course, history and longevity would dramatically favor the son, but when Randolph died, Winston dwelt very much in his father's shadow, both emotionally and in terms of the political career to which he already aspired.
This small, intimate piece of writing catches Churchill with that shadow on the eve of his 73rd birthday. According to Churchill, a "foggy afternoon in November 1947" found him in his "studio at the cottage down the hill at Chartwell" attempting to paint a copy of a damaged portrait of Lord Randolph when he turned around to find his father sitting in a red leather armchair, looking just as Churchill "had seen him in his prime." A conversation ensued about what had - and had not - changed since Randolph's time, ranging from trivialities and individual personalities to politics and the broad sweep of world affairs. Churchill, of course, never reveals his role in much of this history. Churchill titled the piece simply “Private Article” and locked it in a box where it remained, willed to his wife.
Reference: Cohen A288.3; Langworth p.358. Item #008958
Price: $1,450.00