The Sinews of Peace

London: Cassell and Company Ltd., 1948. First edition, only printing. Hardcover. This is an exceptional copy of the British first edition, only printing, of the first of Churchill's five postwar speech volumes. Copies thus – near fine plus in a near fine plus dust jacket – have become elusive and are the starting point of filling a premium set.

The dark orange cloth binding is clean, tight, and square with sharp corners and only a hint of shelf wear, confined to extremities. The contents are bright and clean with no previous ownership marks and no spotting. We note only light dust soiling to the top edges. The lower front flap of the dust jacket is neatly price-clipped, but apart from this, the dust jacket is not only bright and crisp but entirely complete, with no further loss. Shelf presentation is excellent, with just a few tiny, white scuffs. Even the white rear face remains bright with only slight overall soiling. The dust jacket is protected beneath a clear, removable, archival cover.

Having done so much to win the war, Churchill faced frustration of his postwar plans when his wartime government fell to Labour in the General Election of July 1945. He remained Leader of the Opposition until the General Election of late October 1951, which returned the Conservative Party to Parliamentary majority and Churchill to Downing Street for his second and final Premiership at the age of 76. The Sinews of Peace contains 29 speeches spanning October 1945 through the end of 1946. These include the famous "Iron Curtain" speech given at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri on 5 March 1946, where Churchill coined the phrase that described the division between the Soviet Union's sphere of influence and the West.

This speech incisively framed the Cold War that would dominate the second half of the Twentieth Century. Then-President Harry S. Truman traveled to Fulton in order to personally introduce Churchill. Of equal note is Churchill's famous speech of 19 September 1946 at Zurich University promoting a United Europe. It was this speech that lent bold impetus to formation of what would eventually become the European Union, with Churchill an early, ardent, and vital advocate of pan-European integration.

Reference: Cohen A241.1, Woods/ICS A124(a), Langworth p.284