Wine in Peace and War
Saccone and Speed, 1947.
First edition. Number 82 of 100 copies signed by the author to the limitation page, bound in full maroon sheep, gilt vignette and titles to upper board, and gilt titles to spine. Two cartoon style colour drawings by Rex Whistler. A near fine copy with only the slightest wear to the boards and spine, internally exceptionally fresh and bright. A very well preserved copy of a book that is now very prone to wear.
Waugh was commissioned to write a piece on wine by H.H. Prince Vsevolod of Russia (to whom the book is dedicated) as promotional material for the wine merchant, Saccone & Speed, of which Vsevolod was managing director. In order to avoid the 80% rate of income tax (and blissfully ignorant of any benefit in kind legislation) Waugh agreed to be paid at the rate of a dozen bottles of champagne per 1,000 words.
In the book Waugh looks at some of the problems facing the wine merchants during WWII and beyond, as well as making a general commentary on wines of the world and other types of drink.
"True Burgundy is a comparatively rare wine and it has found rude imitators in every quarter of the globe", he propounds. "Ale is the proper drink for university undergraduates... Spirits on the other hand I regard primarily as medicinal."
Stock ID: 45964
£3,000.00
