Precipice was published by Hutchinson Heinemann in 2024. The novel is based on a genuine historical episode: during the summer of 1914, as Britain slid toward war, Prime Minister H.H. Asquith was writing up to three letters a day to Venetia Stanley, a young socialite thirty-five years his junior with whom he was infatuated. The letters contained detailed accounts of Cabinet discussions, military plans, and secret diplomatic negotiations — state secrets that Asquith shared compulsively because his obsession overrode his judgment.
Harris told the story through the eyes of a fictional intelligence officer tasked with determining the extent of the security breach, while the historical narrative unfolded through the letters themselves. The novel explored the vulnerability of political systems to the private weaknesses of the individuals who run them.
The Asquith Letters
The Venetia Stanley letters are real: Asquith wrote over 560 letters to Stanley between 1912 and 1915, many containing detailed accounts of Cabinet meetings and war planning. The letters were published in 1982 and remain one of the most extraordinary primary sources for the opening of World War I. Harris’s fictionalisation dramatises the security implications that historians had long noted.
Collecting Precipice
First edition (Hutchinson Heinemann, London, 2024): Boards with dust jacket.
Approximate market values:
- UK first edition, fine in jacket: $15–$25
- US first edition (Harper): $10–$20
Projected values (2026–2036): As Harris’s most recent novel, first editions are widely available. Signed copies will appreciate moderately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Venetia Stanley? Venetia Stanley (1887–1948) was the daughter of Lord Sheffield and a close confidante — almost certainly lover — of Prime Minister H.H. Asquith. Asquith wrote her over 560 letters during the First World War, often during Cabinet meetings, revealing state secrets and military plans. The letters were published in 2012 and confirmed what historians had long suspected.