“RANKS AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT CHURCHILL SPEECH VOLUMES”: LIBERALISM AND THE SOCIAL PROBLEM

CHURCHILL, Winston. Liberalism and the Social Problem. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1909. Octavo, original gilt-stamped red cloth. $2200.

First edition of this collection of 21 reformist speeches by the Member of Parliament and future Prime Minister, in original cloth.

"That a young, radical Churchill was once held the scourge of the British Establishment and a traitor to his class is largely forgotten by those who think of him only in the modern or at least the Second World War context. Yet by 1909, when his third book of speeches was published, Churchill was an ardent reformer, the bane of Torydom… and ally among the Young Turks of the Liberal Party in their assault on the privileges of the House of Lords, their championing of the earliest forms of welfare legislation, and their campaign for Home Rule in Ireland…" Liberalism and the Social Problem ranks among the most important Churchill speech volumes" (Langworth, 90-92). Liberalism and the Social Problem "addresses itself to three important topics of the time: the speeches of 1906-1908 deal mainly with the settlement in South Africa and the vindication of free trade; those of 1908-1909 project various social reforms and attack the Conservatives, the rich vested interests, and the land speculators; the last group of speeches defends Lloyd George's radical 'People's Budget' of 1909 and assails the House of Lords in the constitutional crisis between the two houses which the budget caused" (Weidhorn, Sword and Pen). Without virtually unobtainable dust jacket. Cohen A29.1.a. Woods A15. Langworth, 92. Contemporary gift inscription, a few spots of pencil underlining and marginal annotation.

Foxing to endpapers, text fine, front inner paper hinge splitting; original cloth with a bit of toning to spine, mild rubbing. An extremely good copy.