Ian Hamilton's March, inscribed and dated in January 1901 by Churchill during his first lecture tour of the U.S. and Canada

Winston S. Churchill

Published by Longmans, Green, and Co., New York, 1900

About this Item

This is an inscribed U.S. first edition, only printing of Winston Churchill's fifth book, the second of two books based on his despatches sent from the front in South Africa during the Boer War. This was the final book from Churchill s early career as an itinerant calvary officer and war correspondent. This copy was inscribed by then-twenty-six-year-old Churchill in Chicago on 10 January 1901 during Churchill's first lecture tour of North America. The signature, in black ink in four lines on the upper half-title, reads: "Winston S. Churchill | to | F. Wight Neuman Esq. | 10.1.1901". Such early signatures in first editions of Churchill's early works are quite scarce, even more so for U.S. first editions.The U.S. first edition saw only a single printing bound in pebble grain red buckram which proved susceptible to blotchy wear and discoloration, particularly on the spine. The number sold is unclear, but seems to be fewer than 1,500. Condition of this copy would render it collector-worthy, independent of the author's signature. The red cloth binding remains unusually clean and tight, with sharp corners, and bright gilt and only trivial wear to extremities. The spine toning and uneven coloration endemic to this edition is mild. The spine retains excellent color and vivid gilt, with only a barely discernible hint of uniform toning and modest instances of the typical discoloration. The contents remain uncommonly bright and crisp. A trace of spotting is confined to the frontispiece tissue guard and the fore edge. The top edge gilt remains bright. Other than the author's inscription, the sole previous ownership mark we find is a half dozen illegible, tiny pencil script letters at the upper left rear pastedown that we have refrained from erasing just in case some future owner may be able to decipher them. The inscription remains clear and bright, with minimal age spreading on a bright and otherwise unmarked half title page. The date is written with European, rather than U.S. precedence, with the month "1" following the day "10" making the date of inscription 10 January 1901. It is interesting to note that Churchill omits the second "n" at the end of Neumann's name and it appears as if he initially misspelled the name as "Newman, with a bit of extra ink at the "um" transition seeming a possible attempt to correct the spelling error as it was being inked.Unlike so many signed copies, we have provenance going back to the time of signing; the book remained in Neumann's family until 2003, when ownership transferred from Neumann's grandson, Sterling E. Selz, to his friend and fellow collector John Patrick Ford (1927-2018), from whom it was in turn acquired by the present owner.In October 1900, Churchill had won his first seat in Parliament partly on the strength of his celebrity as a Boer War hero, having been captured and made a daring escape. Churchill's lecture tour of the United States and Canada was intended to improve his finances at a time when MPs received no salary.Churchill arrived in New York on board the Lucania on December 8, 1900. German-born F. Wight Neumann (1851-1924) was a Chicago-based impresario, "one of the most noted impresarios in America" and "friend of virtually every prominent musician in the country" who "brought all of the great artists of the world to Chicago."(Chicago Daily Tribune, 23 October 1924 Obituary) Also appearing under his management in Chicago were select authors, among them the young Winston Churchill. Arriving in Chicago on the morning of 10 January 1901, Churchill lectured that evening on "The Boer War as I Saw It" at Central Music Hall and was entertained after his lecture by "forty members of the University Club at an informal reception in the club grillroom."Churchill's second and final Boer War book, published in the U.S. on 26 November 1900, would have been both available at the time and perfectly suited to his lecture.Reference: Cohen A8.2, Woods/ICS A5(ca), Langworth p.61.

Seller Inventory # 003371

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Ian Hamilton's March, inscribed and dated in January 1901 by Churchill during his first lecture tour of the U.S. and Canada
• Publisher: Longmans, Green, and Co., New York
• Publication Date: 1900
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First U.S. edition, only printing.
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • WSC First Editions
  • WSC Signed & Inscribed