IAN HAMILTON'S MARCH;

xii, 409 pages: portrait as frontispiece, plans, colour maps (1 folding). Recent quarter leather & marbled paper, beautifully bound with new endpapers. Book plate of Frikkie Botha on front endpaper.

"This book (Churchill’s fifth) is a continuation of those letters to the Morning Post newspaper on the South African War... published under the title "London to Ladysmith via Pretoria". Preface. See Mendelssohn vol. 1, p. 338-9. The print run for the two editions of this book, in October & November, were roughly half the number of the more opulently produced LONDON TO LADYSMITH. His capture, imprisonment and subsequent escape from the Boers had made him a celebrated figure across the British Empire. His first two books (on campaigns in Afghanistan and the Soudan) had enjoyed a resurgance of sales too! After his escape, Churchill returned to Durban and the Natal front. Rejoining General Buller, he expected British forces to advance towards Pretoria and looked forward to reporting on this march. Churchill found Buller and his fellow officers reticent to provide information on "top secret" plans, whilst predicting that they were soon to "go for" the enemy. Churchill happened to chat to a railway porter who told him that no advance could proceed without the construction of a major bridge! Realising action on the Natal front would accordingly be delayed, Churchill decamped to the Cape and joined General Sir Ian Hamilton's forces. This account begins in Bloemfontein and concludes with the capture of Pretoria in June 1900. Written in Churchill's inimitable style, it makes easy, interesting reading. The book includes extracts from  Lt H. Frankland of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who was, like Churchill, captured at Chieveley and held in Pretoria. The somewhat dull original binding has been replaced by a bright red morocco spine with marbled paper in the French shell pattern. A lovely copy of one of the best known books arising from the conflict