Abregé Chronologique ou Extraict de l'Histoire de France

Paris: Louis Billaine, 1678

First Edition. A history of France from 418 (king Faramond) to 1589 (Henry IV).

Three volumes. Quarto. Superb full page engraved portrait of Louis XIV the Great at the beginning of Vol. I, engraved portraits of each monarch at the beginning of most chapters. BINDING? CONDITION?

Original calf rubbed and scratched, especially at edges of boards and along backstrips; front covers of Vols. I and II very slightly detached; lower portion of backstrip on Vol. III missing. Paris, 1678.

$450

offered by

T.E. Lawrence to His Biographers

FIRST EDITION, 1/500 COPIES SIGNED BY ROBERT GRAVES AND BASIL LIDDELL HART. WITH THE ORIGINAL DUSTJACKETS. Two volumes. Octavo. Original linen bindings, original dust jackets. Housed in publisher's slipcase. Spines and front panel of jacket for Hart volume somewhat toned; minor wear to slipcase. A handsome set.

$3,500

Colonna Traiana, erreta del Senato, e Popolo Romano all'Imperatore

FIRST EDITION. COMPLETE WITH 128 engraved plates (including title and dedication). "The Column of Trajan was dedicated on May 18, AD 113, and commemorates a series of militray campaigns waged by the emperor in Dacia between AD 101 and 106... The column itself if composed of 17 separate drums of fine Luna marble, and the carved spiral frieze contains 155 different scenes featuring 2,600 carved figures... the fine details of the carvings... have proven to be of enormous use to historians and archaeologists in reconstructing the particulars of Roman military equipment and tactics, as well as the interactions of the Romans with barbarians."–Gregory S. Aldrete, Daily Life in the Roman CIty: Rome, Pompeii, and Ostia Oblong folio. 128 engraved plates (incl. title & dedication); without the 9 leaves of text (as often). Uncut in 19th century half roan (some light wear to edges, short splits in lower joints, foxing to title & a few other plates, mainly in the margins).

$9,000

Veteres arcus Augustorum triumphis insignes

FIRST EDITION. A splendid work beautifully illustrated with 48 superb engravings (on 46 sheets) depicting bas-reliefs of triumphal arches in Rome. Folio. 18th-century calf, spine elaborately gilt with gilt-stamped spine label, marbled endpapers. Engraved portrait of dedicatee (Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni), 48 engraved plates. Binding lightly rubbed with moderate wear at spine head; clean throughout. A lovely wide margined copy.

$8,000

The Photographic History of the Civil War

"The grandfather of pictorial histories, this mammoth work is a necessary part of any Civil War library. The work contains 3,389 images that constitute an important source on the war's appearance—its battlefields, common soldiers, officers, forts, diseases, camp scenes, army movements, and materiel." Eicher, The Civil War in Books 771."The greatest single collection of Brady illustrations" (Allan Nevins). The Mathew Brady photographs represent the first instance of a comprehensive photo-documentation of a war. New York: The Review of Reviews, 1911. Quarto, original blue cloth gilt. Ten volumes. An exceptional set, gilt uncommonly bright. Only occasional trivial wear to bindings. Very rare in this condition.

$1,250

Romanorum Imperatorum Effigies

1583 edition of Cavalieri's Romanorum Imperatorum Effigies, illustrated with 157 engraved plates. Octavo. Early vellum over boards, early leather spine label. Engraved title, two engraved emblems and 154 Engraved plates (complete totaling 157 including engraved title and emblembs) of all the Roman and Byzantine Emperors from Julius Caesar through the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II. Each plate with a one-page biography by Thomas of Trent, at that time serving in the Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere. Dampstain to first 11 leaves (including engraved title), title reinforced and mounted, significant repair to lower third of the page, otherwise a clean copy in an attractive early binding.

$4,000

Seven Pillars of Wisdom

FIRST AMERICAN TRADE EDITION. "Some Englishmen, of whom Kitchener was chief, believed that a rebellion of Arabs against Turks would enable England, while fighting Germany, simultaneously to defeat Turkey. Their knowledge of the nature and power and country of the Arabic-speaking peoples made them think that the issue of such a rebellion would be happy: and indicated its character and method. So they allowed it to begin..."— Seven Pillars of Wisdom, Introduction Octavo. Original cloth, original dust jacket. Dust jacket in first state with back blank. There was a 1926 printing of 22 copies to secure the U.S. copyright, followed by a 1935 limited edition of 750 copies, followed by this first American trade edition.

$450

HERODIANI HISTOR[IARUM] LIB[RI] VIII

ESTIENNE'S SUPERB 1581 EDITION OF HERODIAN. The second part comprises the editio princeps of the Roman history by Zosimus, an early sixth century historian who wrote in Greek and is a key source for the period 395-410. Zosimus’ original Greek text is accompanied by Estienne’s own Latin version of Zosimus’ text. ‘For this edition of Herodian … Estienne has thoroughly revised, and made additions to, the popular Latin translation of Angelo Poliziano; he prints his corrections, additions, and textual comments in the margins.’ (Schreiber). Quarto. Elegant 18th-century smooth calf, triple gilt fillet, spine gilt, two red morocco spine lables lettered in gilt, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers. Printer’s device on title. Clean throughout, a superb copy.

$3,900

McClellan's Own Story

FIRST EDITION. Octavo. Original gilt decorated green cloth. Spine slightly toned with minor wear at ends, front hinge split (but holding), clean throughout, cosmetic wear at rear hinge. A solid copy in the attractive original binding.

$395

The North Pole: Its Discovery in 1909 Under The Auspices of the Peary Arctic Club

FIRST AMERICAN TRADE EDITION. Octavo. Original pictorial cloth lettered in gilt. Introduction by Theodore Roosevelt, foreword by Gilbert H.Grosvenor. With 8 full page illustrations, 100 illustrations in black and white, and color map bound in at rear. An excellent copy.

$550

[Opera, in Greek]

Folio (320 x 205mm). Bound in modern calf, with elaborate armorial device of Nicolas Chevalier (1532-1630) inlaid on sides (preserved from the original binding). Greek type, Estienne’s device on title. A clean, wide-margined copy; the first few leaves skillfully reinforced at inner margins.

$3,500

History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

FIRST EDITION of Vols II-VI, THIRD EDITION of vol I. This is the first issue of Volume I to set Gibbon's footnotes at page-bottom instead of an the end of the volume, a major iomprovement in readability. "To [his] task Gibbon brought a width of vision and a critical mastery of the available sources which have not been equalled to this day; and the result was clothed in an inimitable prose" (PMM). Six volumes. Quarto. Rebound in period style quarter calf over marbled boards, the spines gilt with red morocco title and volume labels. An attractive and desirable set. Clean throughout.

$7,500

Romanarum historiarum [Greek]

EDITIO PRINCEPS of Appian's histories of the various Roman wars from the earliest times to the campaigns of Trajan. Folio. 18th-century calf recently rebacked. Title leaf laid down and repaired; lower blank corners of last four leaves repaired (not affecting text). Greek type; Estienne's basilisk device as Royal Greek Printer on title; foliated and grotesque Greek initials with matching headpieces. An attractive copy.

$4,500

MEZERAY, LE SIEUR DE