Marlborough: His Life and Times was published in four volumes between 1933 and 1938 (Harrap, London). Churchill wrote it partly for money (he was out of office and needed income), partly from filial piety (Marlborough was his direct ancestor through the Spencer-Churchill line), and partly to refute Thomas Babington Macaulay’s portrait of Marlborough as a brilliant but unprincipled opportunist.
Churchill’s Marlborough is a hero: militarily the greatest captain since Julius Caesar, diplomatically the architect of the Grand Alliance against Louis XIV, and personally a man of honor traduced by jealous contemporaries and partisan historians. The four volumes cover Marlborough’s life from his birth in 1650 through the War of the Spanish Succession (Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde, Malplaquet) to his disgrace and death in 1722.
The military chapters are superb — Churchill understood warfare from personal experience and could describe battles with a clarity that academic historians rarely achieve. The political chapters (the intrigues of Queen Anne’s court, the machinations of Harley and St. John) are equally vivid: Churchill understood political maneuvering from the inside. The work’s weakness is its filial bias — Churchill cannot see fault in Marlborough and explains away every questionable action.
The Marlborough is Churchill’s most important literary work of the 1930s and served as preparation for The Second World War — in both structure (multi-volume narrative combining personal and political history) and theme (a great man fighting against continental tyranny while undermined by smaller allies).
Collecting Marlborough: His Life and Times
First editions (George G. Harrap, London, 1933–1938): Four volumes, blue cloth.
Market values (complete set):
- First edition set, fine/fine: $800–$2,500
- Very good/very good: $300–$800
- US firsts (Scribner’s): $500–$1,500 for set
- Signed copies: $3,000–$10,000+
Projected values (2026–2036): Very strong appreciation, especially complete sets.
Churchill’s Ancestor Vindicated
Marlborough: His Life and Times (1933–1938) is Churchill’s four-volume biography of his ancestor John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough — the general who won the battles of Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde, and Malplaquet in the War of the Spanish Succession. The biography was partly motivated by Churchill’s desire to refute Macaulay’s hostile portrait of the Duke. The work is a masterpiece of military history and family piety, lavishly illustrated with maps and portraits. Complete four-volume sets in dust jackets are among the most valuable Churchill items.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this so expensive? The four-volume set was published over five years (1933–38) by Harrap, with relatively small print runs for such a specialized historical work. Finding all four volumes in matched dust jackets is exceptionally difficult. Signed copies are among the most valuable items in Churchill bibliography.