The point of Parliament.
Sir Alan Patrick Herbert (1890-1971)
Category
Books
Date
1947
Materials
Place of origin
England
Collection
Chartwell, Kent
NT 3131793
Summary
A child`s guide to Parliament. The book is written as a conversation with two children, Richard and Ivy telling them about the working of parliament. Book gifted by: A.P. Herbert Book Inscription Signature: A.P. Herbert Book Inscription: To Winston Churchill (not that he needs much instruction in this department). Humbly A.P. Herbert
Full description
**The Inscribed Books Collection, to which this book belongs, consists of gift inscriptions on third party books given to Sir Winston Churchill from friends, family, and well-wishers, unsolicited presentation copies of books by strangers, as well as presentation copies from authors who were genuine friends and colleagues. After his death in January 1965, Churchill personally bequeathed the collection via his Will as a testament to his national and international achievements. At the outbreak of the First World War, Sir Alan Patrick Herbert (24 September 1890 - 11 November 1971), after studying at Oxford University, enlisted as an ordinary seaman in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. In 1917 he was wounded on the Western front and while convalescing wrote 'The Secret Battle', the story of the nervous breakdown of a Gallipoli soldier and his ultimate execution for cowardice. The novel was credited with bringing about much needed reforms in the court martial procedure and a later edition included an introduction by Churchill himself. From 1935 until the University seats were abolished in 1950, Herbert was an independent member of parliament. The author and politician was recognised for championing many social and poltical causes in parliament and elsewhere. For example, when the Chancellor of Exchequer proposed to put a purchase tax onn books in 1940, Herbet gave a passionate speech against the tax and it was revoked three weeks later. He also held positions in numerous societies, but arguably his most important was as President of the Society of Authors. In 1954, he led the group to press for reform of the law on censorship as well as later helped to shape the Obscene Publications Act of 1959. Published in 1947 by Methuen & Co.,'The Point of Parliament' by Herbert is written as a conversation with two children, Richard and Ivy, informing them about the workings of parliament. In the introduction, Herbert reveals that most of the book's contents first appeared in the British satirical magazine 'Punch' under the title 'Not So Silly: A Child's Guide to Parliament'. Until his forties Herbert's reputation rested partly on his connection with Punch. In 1945 he received a knighthood as part of Churchill's resignation honours.
Bibliographic description
111p. ; 8vo. Provenance: Inscribed by the author: "To Winston Churchill (not that he need much instruction in this department). Humbly A.P. Herbert." Binding: brown cloth.
Provenance
The book was gifted to Churchill by Herbert himself. The author inscribed the copy with his signature and included a message addressed to Churchill which reads: "To Winston Churchill (not that he need much more instruction in this department). Humbly A.P. Herbert"
Makers and roles
Sir Alan Patrick Herbert (1890-1971)