Randolph S. Churchill; Martin Gilbert — Winston S. Churchill

London, Heinemann, 1966-1983. First edition. Cloth. A five-volume collection of first editions of the official multi-volume biography of Winston Churchill, in original cloth and dust wrappers, richly illustrated with plates throughout. First editions.In the publisher's original cloth bindings, complete with the original dust wrappers, all but one of which remain unclipped.Illustrated with numerous photographic plates, illustrations and folding tables to each volume. Collated, complete. A collection of five early volumes of the official biography of Winston Churchill, in the publisher's original dust wrappers, and each in their first edition.Volume V is absent from this collection. This set includes: Volume I Youth 1874-1900 (1966). Volume II Young Statesman 1874-1900 (1966). Volume III 1814-1916 (1971). Volume IV 1917-1922 (1975). Volume VI Finest Hour 1939-1941 (1983). With the complete eight volumes published between 1966 and 1988, the first two volumes are by the subject's own son, Randolph S. Churchill. Following his death in 1968, the later volumes were completed by Martin Gilbert, after having previously been approached by Randolph Churchill to do so. These are the only official biographies of the former Prime Minister and WWI veteran's life. In May 1960, five years before his death, he wrote to his son: 'I should be happy that you should write my official biography when the time comes. But I must ask you to defer this until after my death. I would not like to release my papers piecemeal, and I think that you should wait for the time being and then get all your material from my own Archives&apos. In the publisher's original cloth bindings. Externally, smart. Slight rubbing to boards and extremities. Slight spotting and fading to perimeters of boards. Slight rubbing to boards. Dust wrappers, smart. "Finest Hour" clipped. and The odd small chip and closed tear to extremities. Slight rubbing and bumping resulting in one or two small creases. Dust wrapper of "Young Statesman" more worn than others, with tape repairs to extremities, one or two closed tears and slight loss at lower corner o front wrap. Internally, firmly bound. Pages bright and clean with one or two handling marks and spots, heavier to fore edges. Very Good Indeed . Ill.: Various. Very Good Indeed/Very Good.