# Is "The Second World War (6 vols)" by Winston S. Churchill a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Second World War (6 vols) by Winston S. Churchill (Houghton Mifflin, 1948) is identified by: US first printings are in uniform red cloth stamped in black and gilt, with the publication date printed at the foot of the title page and yellow-stained top edges; jackets are priced at the flap, with spine panels varying volume to volume. Confirms the census.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US first printings are in uniform red cloth stamped in black and gilt, with the publication date printed at the foot of the title page and yellow-stained top edges; jackets are priced at the flap, with spine panels varying volume to volume
- There is no number line — later printings are noted on the copyright page, so a first printing shows the publication date at the title-page foot and no later-printing notice
- A first printing must also lack the Book-of-the-Month Club indentation/blindstamp on the rear board
- Standard references for the first volume are Cohen A240.1(I).a and Woods A123aa
- The Cassell (London) volumes, for comparison, are in black cloth with gilt spine lettering under uniform grey jackets alternating lions and Churchill's initials
- Cassell additionally prepared a small number of sets (reported at about 100) bound in full black pebble-grain morocco for presentation
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Winston S. Churchill |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 1948 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US first printings are in uniform red cloth stamped in black and gilt, with the publication date printed at the foot of the title page and… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US first printings are in uniform red cloth stamped in black and gilt, with the publication date printed at the foot of the title page and yellow-stained top edges; jackets are priced at the flap, with spine panels varying volume to volume. There is no number line — later printings are noted on the copyright page, so a first printing shows the publication date at the title-page foot and no later-printing notice. A first printing must also lack the Book-of-the-Month Club indentation/blindstamp on the rear board. Standard references for the first volume are Cohen A240.1(I).a and Woods A123aa. The Cassell (London) volumes, for comparison, are in black cloth with gilt spine lettering under uniform grey jackets alternating lions and Churchill's initials; Cassell additionally prepared a small number of sets (reported at about 100) bound in full black pebble-grain morocco for presentation.

## Is this the true first?
Confirms the census. The Houghton Mifflin (Boston) edition precedes the Cassell (London) edition throughout the series: The Gathering Storm was published in the US on 21 June 1948 against a British October 1948 issue, and the sequence holds to the end — Triumph and Tragedy appeared in the US in November 1953 and in Britain in April 1954. The US set is therefore the true first edition, first printing. Both sets are collected, and the census note on text is sound: the Cassell London volumes were issued within months of the American and incorporate numerous corrections and a few additional maps, so the UK set carries the better text while the US set holds precedence. Name both when cataloguing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Book-of-the-Month Club issued the set in America simultaneously, run on the same presses as the trade sheets, so BOMC copies closely resemble firsts and are frequently offered — and mis-sold — as such. Tells: a blind indentation or blindstamp on the rear board, no price at the jacket flap, and thinner paper and cheaper boards. A Canadian book club issue also exists and is similar in appearance. Always check the copyright page for a later-printing notice in addition to the board and jacket tells.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Second World War (6 vols)* by Winston S. Churchill a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-second-world-war-6-vols
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.