Winston Churchill

WENDY REVES ON
FOREIGN EDITIONS
As a Trustee of the Churchill Literary
Foundation (in which I feel a great honor
and thank all of you!) I have been studying
carefully all of the Society's past literature,
including the Churchill Handbook, specifically
Section 4 Part 1, the "Checklist of
Foreign Language Editions." I went immediately
to my library to see if I could be of
help with some of the questions. I have a few
answers regarding foreign editions of The
Second World War, arranged by my husband,
the late Emery Reves.
SPANISH EDITIONS: There were two, the first
in October 1954 by Los Libros de Nuestro
Tiempo (Barcelona), in gold-beige linen
boards with titles gilt. The second was one
of the loveliest Churchill sets, in fine beige
leather with dark blue, dark red and gold
decor and gilt lettering. This was published
in 1965 by Plaza y Janess A. Editores,
Barcelona.
What is interesting is that Jose Janess was
director of Los Libros when they published
the 1954 edition.
Each of these works was in six volumes; I
have a set of the first, and four complete sets
of the second, here at La Pausa. The Dallas
Museum of Art has at least one set of each,
and sets are also in storage in Switzerland.
A Spanish-language edition was published
in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1955 by
Peuser. It is a linen type in blue with a black
rectangle and the author's signature in gilt.
They seem to have published one volume
at a time in 1948/49/50/52/53/55. It is a
hodgepodge set, with covers and contents
varying in color. I am not certain that I have
a complete set. Emery was greatly disappointed
in every way by his dealings with
them, and they never paid for the rights, as I
remember. There was even a lawsuit which
Emery, being a foreigner, did not win —
altogether a total mess! I need more time to
research this subject in Emery's files.
swiss EDITIONS: Emery did not negotiate
with a German publisher for the German
rights. You will recall his persecution by the
Germans; secondly, they were not interested
in "Churchill Memoirs" at that
period. With Alfred Scherz of Bern (not
"Zurich" as stated in the Handbook) and
Munich publishing the work, there was no
need for a German publisher.
The German language editions were for
the German-speaking Swiss, and for those
in Germany who were interested. Your question
was whether Scherz's volumes should
be considered Swiss or German. Correctly,
they are Swiss Editions in the German
language. (For the minority of Swiss who
spoke French, there was the Plon (Paris)
issue.
I hope I've helped. I've learned a lot
myself. The library is packed with so many
editions — they were a part of my life, but I
had not studied them. Now, the Society's
bibliographic efforts have created an avid
researcher in me!
- WENDY REVES, CAP MARTIN, FRANCE
I can report that a complete set of six Argentinian
Editions does reside in the library at
Chartwell, though this is a very uncommon
Spanish-language issue. Chartwell also holds
both Barcelona sets, and a set of Swiss Editions
by Scherz.
As editor of the Handbook, it was I who raised
the question of whether Scherz should be considered
a Swiss Edition, and 1 am glad to have
this input from Mrs. Reves. Now, if only I can
find a set of the lovely Spanish leather edition
for my library, 1 will have to add yet another
shelf. . .
RML
PRISSY PROFESSOR?
Professor J.K. Galbraith ("The Companion
Volumes: An Appreciation," FH 57)
states, "this extraordinary writing exists
because Churchill's career antedates the use
of the telephone." Could too much use of
the telephone be the reason why Galbraith's
writing is so bad — and so out of place in a
magazine devoted to the memory of a
master of English?
Galbraith's writing is affected. When he
prissily says, "the senior Churchill," I think
of Lord Randolph. What are we to make of
"he showed up in Cambridge," when
"visited" is adequate? His sentences are so
wordy they become tortuous, and set the
reader a wearisome task of unravelling to get
the drift — and drift it is. I do not refer to
the differences between American and
British usage, but to his failure to use correct
syntax and grammar.
Re-read his first paragraph, if you can bear
it: "Certainly anyone of the requisite
literacy" means (I think) "a literate
person." Later he writes, "he asked me to
look at that part of his connective tissue
having to do with economics." Forsooth!
Throughout Sir Winston's long career,
the Old and New World instantly
understood what he had to say, and were
enchanted by the way he said it. Should
not, therefore, a university professor be able
to write with simplicity and clarity?
I need say no more than quote Sir
Winston's aphorism when encountering
jargon — "Up with this I will not put" —
and beg you not to inflict John Kenneth
Galbraith upon us again!
- NORMAN H. ROGERS, IPSWICH, SUFFOLK, UK
28
PRESENT FOR THE CURTAIN
I am pleased to join the Society, since I
was present at the Iron Curtain speech in
Fulton, Missouri on 5th March 1946. I'm
afraid I went A.W.O.L. from high school to
attend!
- THEODORE C. BECKETT, KANSAS CITY, MO, USA
JAMIE THE POOH
I thought you might be interested in the
enclosed newspaper report of ICS honorary
member James Humes, who I saw performing
as WSC here recently. He went non-stop
for 75 minutes and I could have listened far
longer. I introduced myself as an ICS
member. "Ah yes," he said — and then proceeded
to speak of Winnie the Pooh being
named after WSC! I think you all do a super
job with Finest Hour. The "Churchill in
Stamps" series indicates a depth of
knowledge and organization not evident in
many collections. Keep up the good work.
- ERVIN R. PRITCHETT, LA PORTE, IND., USA
CHURCHILL'S LONDON
Just a quick note to say that the ICS
booklet "Churchill's London," by Martin
Gilbert, is splendid. It is hard to believe the
good fortune of Wendy Reves' gift. I believe
it is in a way personal recompense to you for
all the effort you've put forth over the years.
- DONALD S. CARMICHAEL, BUFFALO, NY, USA
The editor blushes, but not for long. To
paraphrase an apt quote, it is the Churchill
community around the world that has the lion's
heart; I have the luck to be called upon to give
the roar.
FAIRLY WELL STOCKED ...
After 18 months in Florida, I am now going
through my final six months training in
the high desert of southeast Idaho. When I
first arrived I strolled over to Idaho State
University Library, and was pleased to
discover a complete set of all official
biography and companion volumes published
to date, plus a full set of the Rhodes
James Complete Speeches.
- DAVID FREEMAN, USN, POCATELLO, ID, USA
. . . AND STOCKING UP
I was pleased to obtain a full set of the sixvolume
Scribners postwar World Crisis,
along with Dalton Newfield's fine facsimile
editions of Mr. Brodrick's Army and For Free
Trade. Having read The Second World War
(it took a year but was worth it) and My Early
Life, I've been anxious to get Churchill's
account of World War I. Reading it will take
awhile, as I am swamped in the study of