OF THEIR OWN CHOICE [with] DUEL OF WITS [with] THE SPIRIT IN THE CAGE

First edition, first printing. Three volumes. Signed by the author in the first volume. Publisher's original black and blue cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in dustwrappers. Top edge blue (Of Their Own Choice only). With four maps and three line-drawn plans across the set, and a black and white photographic plate tipped-in to the rear of the final volume. A better than very good set, the bindings square and firm, lightly bumped at the spine tips and a little rubbed to the extremities, with some dulling to the gilt titles of Of Their Own Choice. The Spirit in the Cage has a little bowing to the board ends and a touch of fading to the tail of the spine. The closed text block edges are a little spotted. The contents, with spotting to the endpapers of the first volume and with a few foxing spots throughout The Spirit in the Cage, are otherwise clean and without previous owners' inscriptions or stamps. Complete in the rubbed, nicked and creased dustwrappers, that have a little fading to the spine of Of Their Own Choice, with a couple of short closed tears with small chips to Duel of Wits. The Spirit of the Cage retains the original 'Recommended by The Book Society' yellow wraparound band, which has a closed tear and light spotting. The front flap of Duel of Wits is price-clipped, the other two volumes are priced 12/6 net to the lower front flaps.

Inscribed by the author in blue ink on the title page of Of Their Own Choice 'For Miss Jo Ockenden / with all good wishes / Peter Churchill / 9-10-52'. The definitive memoirs of Peter M. Churchill DSO (1909-1972), a British Special Operations Executive officer in the Second World War, exploring his espionage training and wartime operations, his ultimate discovery and arrest by Nazi spycatcher Hugo Bleicher, and consequent imprisonment in German concentration camps.