1a. CHURCHILL, Sir Winston (Contributor). The Legion Book. Privately Printed at the Curwen Press. 1929.


£8,500


Folio, original full cream pigskin, decorated in gilt and blind to a design by Charles Ricketts, top edge gilt. Illustrated throughout. A near fine copy in original red cloth box.


First edition, limited edition of 100 copies reserved for the presentation by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII. Each of these 100 presentation copies is signed by all of the contributors.


This copy inscribed by the Prince of Wales to George, Earl Haig "To George, Earl Haig in remembrance of his father the founder of the British Legion from Edward P."


Edited by Capt. H Cotton Minchin. The Legion Book was published to raise money for the British Legion. With the support of The Prince of Wales, Minchin collected a remarkable array of writers and artists to contribute to the book including amongst the authors Winston Churchill, Lloyd George, Ramsay MacDonald, Stanley Baldwin, Clemenceau, P.G. Wodehouse, Aldous Huxley, Vita Sackville West, G.K. Chesterton, and Hilaire Belloc.


Artists include Edward Bawden, Eric Gill, Eric Kennington, William Nicholson, John Sargent, Clare Leighton, Eric Ravilious, Stephen Gooden, David Low, Laura Riding, William Rothenstein, David Low and John Nash.


This is an appealing presentation copy from the Prince of Wales to George, Earl Haig, the son of Field Marshal Haig who was one of the founders of the British Legion who had died in 1928, the year before The Legion Book was published. George, Earl Haig was only 11 when he received this book from the future King. Churchill's contribution to the book is a two-page essay about Earl Haig. George, Second Earl Haig went on to be Chairman of the British Legion in Scotland from 1962 to 1965 and president of the Earl Haig Fund from 1980 to 1986. In 1966 he was appointed OBE for his services to the British Legion.


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