Antiquarian Auctions

Auction #114 begins on 11 Apr 2024

Birse, Arthur H

Memoirs of An Interpreter (With Signed Letter)

Published: Michael Joseph, London, 1967

Edition: 1st

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Published by London: Michael Joseph., 1967. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good+. A very good copy with no inscriptions or signs of ownership. Contents and edges free of any foxing and covers unblemished. In a VG+ un-clipped dust jacket that has no tears or loss but with slight chipping at the spine ends. Pasted-in a letter from the author thanking the writer for praising his book. Uncommon. 

Major Arthur Birse, a banker in peacetime, was a man of many talents, interests, and capabilities, spanning business, music, and literature. Hugh Lunghi, one of Winston Churchill’s interpreters, once said Birse was “by far the most outstanding, the most brilliant of all the Allied interpreters.” The reason for Birse’s particular skill was the fact that he was born in St. Petersburg and had grown up in Russia. He had served in World War I, where the British military first employed his Russian language skills. He promptly rejoined upon the German invasion of Norway in the spring of 1940 and was soon sent to the British embassy in Moscow. From there, he served as the interpreter for Winston Churchill and Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden during their visits with Stalin in Moscow and for the major wartime conferences. Birse was widely respected by the Soviets for his exemplary skills

  • Jacket Condition: Very Good
  • Binding Condition: Very Good plus
  • Overall Condition: Very Good plus
  • Size: 8 Vo
  • Sold By: White Eagle Books
  • Contact Person: Andrew Saidi
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Telephone: 020 8997 9894
  • Preferred Payment Methods: Paypal
  • Trade Associations: PBFA IOBA


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