It’s always interesting to see what books looked like when they first appeared. Here’s Churchill’s masterpiece of popular history, the History of the English-Speaking Peoples…

There are two abridged versions, the handsome The Island Race (1964) with copious illustrations, and History of the English-Speaking Peoples (abridged). They’re said to be just a bit dry, with a lot of Churchill’s personality and wit removed. Those who balk at the length might do better to try the four-volumes unabridged, in a good audiobook version.

Churchill’s set of books came to a halt as the year 1900 dawned. But a later masterly updating was accomplished with the further book A History of the English-Speaking Peoples since 1900 by Andrew Roberts. Roberts is coming to speak in Stoke-on-Trent this summer, at the city’s literary festival.

Incidentally there’s now a book which calmly and systematically rebuts all the myths and sly slurs about Churchill, Winston Churchill: Winston Churchill, Myth and Reality: What He Actually Did and Said.