THE WORLD CRISIS -First English Edition Set without Dust Jackets-

First English Edition Set. Churchill's highly subjective history of the First World War was published in five volumes (six books) written over eight years. Initial volumes were first published in the U.S. (by a matter of days), making the American edition the true first edition. A very good First English edition set of First Printings, without dust jackets, inscribed and signed in ink on the front free endpaper of Volume IV, THE AFTERMATH: "To Robert Cecil from Winston S. Churchill 6. Mar. 1929." (The month of publication.)LORD ROBERT CECIL (1864-1958), 4th Marquess of Salisbury, was a British lawyer, politician and diplomat, whose father served as Prime Minister three times. As one of the architects of the League of Nations, Robert Cecil was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1937.VOLUME I (Book 1) is the Second State of the First Printing with the Errata slip tipped-in opposite Page 1. The cloth is bright, with some light scuffing and shelf wear, including faint short tears at the spine head and tail, as well as very light, scattered foxing to the prelims and the fore-edge. Else fine. Laid-in is a charming vintage "Subjects Interests" solicitation postcard from the publisher Thornton Butterworth.VOLUME II (Book 2) is similarly lightly scuffed, with some cloth rubbed away at the the lower front right corner. The contents are fine with very faint scattered foxing to the prelims only.VOLUME III Part 1 (Book 3) is a beautiful copy, with flap-toning to the endpapers, else fine.VOLUME III Part 2 (Book 4) is crisp and bright, with a former-owner name discreetly inked on the front free endpaper, which is also flap-toned. There is a tiny vintage bookshop plate on the front pastedown and flap-toning to the rear free endpaper, as well. The contents are fine, with three or four spots of light foxing to the fore-edges.VOLUME IV: THE AFTERMATH (Book 5), which is the First State of the First Printing, per Cohen, without an Errata slip opposite Page 9, is a very handsome copy, crisp and bright, with just the faintest bubbling to the cloth near the front hinge. Else fine.VOLUME V: THE EASTERN FRONT (Book 6) is a lovely copy with a tiny indentation on each front board edge and a former-owner name discreetly inked on the front free endpaper. Else fine. 8vo (5 volumes in 6 books. 2500+ pages, illustrated with folding maps and plans.) (Cohen A69.2[I.b, II-VI.a]) (Woods A31ab).