Winston Churchill

What with the great Gary Oldman apparently doing a sterling job represented Winston Churchill on the big screen at the moment in 'Darkest Hour' in seems an opportune moment to remind you all that we had a section of books by and about Churchill.  We might might as well pick up some of the crumbs from the marketing machine (it's called 'slipstreaming').

Happy New Year everyone!

Who Is The Mystery Man On the New Fiver?

 

This morning I received the first of the new £5.00 notes - and a jolly good design it is too!

Now, in case anyone asks you the question at the top of this post, I thought it worthwhile pointing out that we have a whole section devoted to books about and by Churchill.  As a bonus, the majority of them can be bought with change from said fiver!

Sadly the volumes of his collected wartime speeches which have proved so popular have almost all gone now (snap them up while they're still here!) - but we always have our eye out for new titles to add to the list.  The ones below were added earlier this week (as those of you who follow us on Facebook will already know).

        

 

Sir Martin Gilbert (1936-2015)

Martin Gilbert, a giant among historians of the twentieth century died on 3 February.  He wrote over 90 books, but is best known for his monumental official biography of Sir Winston Churchill, which occupied 25 years of his life (starting as research assistant to Randolph Churchill).

Daily Telegraph obit

Our Part of the Gilbert mountain

Auction News

Several people have asked how I got on at the auction I mentioned last week; and in honesty, it's only fair to update you having raised it.

Imagine a 1930s warehouse/workshop in ruralish Norfolk.  Three-quarters of the space is take up by trestle tables on which are piled hundreds of banana boxes (there's a dissertation to be written on the contribution made by Fyfes to the second-hand book trade).  There are about 40 cinema seats and room for the same number to stand.  It's well-lit, but not heated.  I had hoped the bad weather might have kept some  people away, but as Thermos flasks and car blankets appeared I realised that wasn't going to be the case.

Bidding was brisk and there seemed to be a number of telephone bidders (the bulk lots aren't on the internet).  There were very few unsold items and prices were more or less as I'd estimated at the viewing.  A slight surprise were three lots of motorcycling books which took off, but knowing how bike enthusiasts are, it wasn't a great surprise.

The lots I bought were almost exclusively twentieth century history.  Of note was a collection of works on and by Winston Churchill, intended to restock our recently depleted section on him, some interesting WWI titles from the 1920s and '30s, and a number of professional directories, school registers and knightages.

These will appear on the website in due course (though where I know of customers' interests, I have managed to pair some off - why not send me your Wants List?).