BR TO W.W. NORTON & COMPANY, INC. / WARDER NORTON, 4 MAY 1942
BRACERS 47416. ALS. Norton papers, Columbia U. SLBR 2: #457
Edited by N. Griffin. Proofread by K. Blackwell and A. Duncan

<letterhead>
Little Datchet Farm
Malvern, R.D.1
Pennsylvania1
May 4, 1942

Dear Warder

You may remember that, in accordance with your letter of June 10, 1940, the contract I had with you for a History of Philosophy was transferred to Power, you retaining the refusal of the History of Philosophy; I am now far enough on to feel that I should like to make this definite. I now know that I mean to do the book, and I feel fairly confident that it should have a very large sale. I wish to devote the summer to working on it, and I hope to finish it during the summer of 1943. I cannot, however, give more than a part of my time to it unless I can have an advance that will free me from the necessity of doing other work that will bring in money immediately. Would you be willing to let me have an advance of $1000 (one thousand dollars) some time quite soon — say before the end of the present month?2 John at Harvard and Kate at Radcliffe make my needs greater than usual.

I am bearing in mind that you prefer one volume of about 450,000 words. I propose to intersperse the philosophy with chapters of general history to explain the mental atmosphere; especially in the earlier and medieval times, about which most readers know little.

Yours sincerely
Bertrand Russell

• 1

  [document] Proofread against a microfilm printout of the original.

• 2

  an advance of $1000 … before the end of the present month It is not clear why he needed the money so quickly. He may have expected to be fired when classes ended for the summer.