Escape to Live
Edward Alexander Howell
Category
Books
Date
1947
Materials
Place of origin
England
Collection
Chartwell, Kent
NT 3132674
Summary
The fighting in Crete in 1941, capture by the Germans and escape. Book gifted by: Edward Howell Book Inscription Signature: Edward Howell Book Inscription: Mr Winston Churchill, an escapee who has shaped history - in admiration and gratitude from the author. See page 148, Edward Howell July 1947 Date of Inscription: July 1947
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. When Britain went to war with the Boers in southern Africa in 1899, Churchill saw a chance to once again make a name for himself. In the end, it was the London Morning Post who managed to win a fierce bidding war to secure his services as a war correspondent. A few weeks after arriving in Cape Town, Churchill was aboard an armored train carrying British troops on a reconnaissance mission when it was suddenly ambushed by the Boers and tossed from the tracks. While some of the British fighters were able to flee to safety, the war correspondent was among those captured by the Boers and transported to a prisoner-of-war camp in the enemy capital of Pretoria. On the night of 12 December 1899, while the guards weren’t watching, Churchill scaled the prison fence and made a break for freedom. After safely navigating the 300-miles journey through enemy territory, Churchill, who was a wanted man, knocked on the door of a coal mine manager, John Howard, who then helped him onto a departing freight train that carried him to freedom in Portuguese East Africa. Churchill opted to continue covering the war and fighting in it as well; he returned home an imperial hero. Edward Howell's 'Escape to Live' was published in 1947 by Longsman Green & Co. The book describes the final day of fighting in Crete 1941, his capture by the Germans his own escape from captivity, reminiscent in some ways of Churchill's. Howell was a WWII Royal Air Force fighter pilot and Allied Joint Staff officer. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his action in the air battle over Crete. Shot down and captured by the Germans, he made an amazing escape while still seriously injured. He was subsequently invested an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). After his recovery he served in the US on the planning staff for Operation Overlord (D-Day). His other decorations include the Legion of Merit (US) and the Distinguished Flying Cross (Crete). He worked closely with the inventor Barnes Wallis in the development of new bombs.
Bibliographic description
vii,230p. ; 8vo Provenance: inscribed by the author: Mr Winston Churchill, an escapee who has shaped history - in admiration and gratitude from the author. See page 148, Edward Howell July 1947." $zBinding: red cloth.
Provenance
The book was gifted to Churchill by Howell himself. The author inscribed the copy with his signature as well as a brief message, dated July 1947, addressed to Churchill which reads: "Mr Winston Churchill, an escapee who has shaped history - in admiration and gratitude from the author" On his return home, Howell actually had lunch with the then Prime Minister Churchill and his wife, Clementine. They both shared mutual admiration for Howell and considered him to be a friend.
Makers and roles
Edward Alexander Howell