Twenty-Five Years. 1892-1916. Grey, Sir Edward.

First edition, first impression, preserving the rare dust jackets, of Grey's only work of autobiography, charting his entry into politics through to his role as British foreign secretary before and during the First World War. As foreign secretary from 1905 to 1916, Grey was one of the key figures in the run-up to and outbreak of the war. "The failure of 1914, for so he regarded it, sometimes kept him awake in after years. He wondered whether he could and should have acted differently" (ODNB). His book justifies his conduct and includes much new information. This copy is from the collection of Churchill's bibliographer Ronald Cohen, with his ownership signature in pencil to the front free endpapers. Two volumes, octavo. Original blue cloth, spines lettered in gilt. With dust jackets. Photogravure frontispieces and 15 half-tone photographic plates. Bookplate to front pastedown of John Stafford Reid Byers (1903-1984), of Waterfoot House in Newcastle; newspaper clippings on Barbara Tuchman's 1962 study August 1914 mounted to front free endpaper of vol. I and following blank; a few ink page references to rear pastedowns. Some light foxing to contents; light soiling to unclipped jackets: near-fine copies in near-fine jackets.