BOSWELL, JamesBiblio.com
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1769155832The Hague: Frederic Staatman 1769. First edition of the second French translation of Boswell's account of his travels to Corsica in 1765 in a contemporary binding. Issued within a year from the original English of 1768 it contributed to establishing Boswell's reputation and promoting the Corsican cause in France. It was Rousseau who urged Boswell to visit the relatively unknown Corsica then struggling for its independence from Genoa. Impressed by the qualities of its leader General Paoli Boswell campaigned in the British newspapers lobbied Pitt to intervene and personally sent thirty cannon to help. "With its reports of the gallant islanders and a Plutarchan depiction of Paoli paralleled with several classical heroes it was an immediate success. Though Boswell's ambition for British intervention was not to be fulfilled he probably influenced Britain's decision to send secret supplies of arms to the Corsicans" ODNB. This translation was made by Jean Paul Isaac Dubois then secretary to the Polish ambassador at the Hague. At the end a long note by Dubois praises Paoli's generosity and mercy. Another translation was published earlier the same year titled Etat de la Corse by Gabriel Seigneux de Correvon. Octavo in two parts 195 x 120 mm. With 1 engraved folding map of Corsica by A. I. Polak dated 1769 woodcut head- and tailpieces. Contemporary calf spine with raised bands gilt initials "G.V.A" stamped to head of spine floral tools to compartments light brown calf spine label Nonpareil pattern marbled endpapers edges sprinkled blue trace of a green silk bookmarker. Loss to headcap corners worn couple of small wormtrails to rear cover small intermittent light waterstain to upper margin otherwise bright and clean short closed tear to map stub just touching engraved frame. A very good and well-margined copy. STCN 21231212X; Cox 1769. hardcover
1785022250London: Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly. . Contemporary calf. First Edition. With the half title and errata and advertisement leaf at the end. First state of p. 121 with in-induced. Provenance: From the library of notable book collector Sydney Ross with his bookplate. This anecdotal and vivid record of Boswells trip through Scotland with Johnson is a prelude to his later Life of Samuel Johnson. Rejointed two slips of bibliographical information tipped in inside the front cover two-inch tear along spine edge of front free endpaper with leaf slightly protruding else Very Good. . Very Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 1785. Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly hardcover
1785122700Sm. London: Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1785. Sm. 8vo iii-vii lacks half-title 1 524 1pp. Modern full diaper calf panelled in gilt backstrip stamped and lettered in gilt with 4 raised bands a lovely retrospective binding by Dusel. § First edition mixed issue; E3 E4 and M4 are cancels as usual; leaves I5 Q7 and U6 are in Pottle's second state. We first sold this copy in 2005 after Dusel rebound it. It makes a very attractive "gift" copy. "Though the Life is a vaster and richer piece of work no one will maintain that it displays Boswell's unique gift for biography better than the Tour. Indeed most lovers of Boswell will agree that the Tour as a whole is more consistently good than the Life; that is that nowhere in the Life could one find so many consecutive first-class pages as those that compose this book" Pottle 57. Rothschild 456. Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly hardcover books
19251104402 vols. Bath: George Bayntun 1925. 2 vols 8vo 1172 pp. With 576 Illustrations Facsimiles and Maps Including 13 Plates in Photogravure. Original three-quarter bright red morocco gilt spine tooled in gilt with decorative medallions five raised bands; t.e.g. A splendid set beautifully bound by Bayntun. § A perfect copy of a very good edition of this classic of English literature and history. George Bayntun hardcover books
17851245821785. London: Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1785. <br /> <br /> 8vo xx ii 1-534 1 advertisement for Life of Johnsonpp. Uncut in original boards; complete with half title and terminal blank. Backstrip sensitively restored boards soiled and worn at edges some dampstaining to front endpapers half title and title some loss to terminal blank bookplate; withal a very pleasing copy in a custom leather box.<br /> <br /> § Second edition revised and corrected. A lovely copy uncut in the original boards and uncommon thus. Pottle notes that the second edition was issued in boards at 6s. and also bound "All copies I have seen are full-bound in calf."<br /> <br /> Boswell's account of a three month tour of the Highlands and islands of Scotland which he made in the company of Samuel Johnson in 1773. Johnson's own account A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland had been published in 1775. While Johnson's book sticks to the sober description of topography and history that was expected from travel books of the time Boswell's book "has the chatty informality of a 'rough' guide: its focus is on Johnson as it describes his charged encounters with the native population whether humble cottagers or important personages like Lord Monboddo and Boswell's formidable father Lord Auchinleck" Oxford DNB.<br /> <br /> "The principal changes made in the second edition besides the correction of some printer's errors are the removal of a few errors of fact and a large number of slight verbal changes in the interest of grammar and elegance; the addition of the Contents two Appendixes and a number of notes explanatory or controversial; and the substitution pp. 165-6 of a softened account of the stay with Sir Alexander Macdonald for the too frank disclosures of the original narrative' Chapman p. xvii. As quoted in Pottle Boswell's Literary Career 59. unknown
183557152E-252: John Murray. Very Good. 1835. Leather. Leather. Small 8vo. John Murray London. 1835. 10 volumes. Xxiv 325 pgs; viii 344 pgs; ix 323 pgs; xii 343 pgs; viii 341 pgs; viii 342 pgs; viii 381 pgs; xi 431 pgs xv 335 pgs; xii 376 pgs. Illustrated with a hand-colored engraved frontispiece and an additional hand-colored vignette title all engraved by Edward Francis Finden 1791-1857. In addition there are nineteen hand-colored plates portraits and views a folding map of "The Tour through Scotland and the Hebrides. In 1773" volume IV a folding facsimile "Round Robin" volume VI and six folding facsimile letters. First Illustrated Edition Croker's Second Edition. Bound in tree calf leather with gilt double-rule border on covers spines decoratively tooled in gilt in compartments with red maroon labels with gilt lettering and gilt board edges and turn-ins all edges gilt with some uncut pages and marbled endpapers unsigned binding; looks like Bayntun. Full purple morocco covers elaborately tooled in gilt in a geometric pattern. Boards have light wear present to the extremities of the boards. No ownership marks present. Text is clean and free of marks. Binding tight and solid. In Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson one of the towering figures of English literature is revealed with unparalleled immediacy and originality in a biography to which we owe much of our knowledge of the man himself. Through a series of richly detailed anecdotes Johnson emerges as a sociable figure vigorously engaging and fencing with great contemporaries such as Garrick Goldsmith Burney and Burke and of course with Boswell himself. Yet anxieties and obsessions also darkened Johnson's private hours and Boswell's attentiveness to every facet of Johnson's character makes this biography as moving as it is entertaining. EB; 12mo 7" - 7½" tall . John Murray hardcover
1951149552London: William Heinemann Ltd 1951-1960. The De Luxe Yale edition of the private papers of James Boswell. Tall octavo 6 volumes original publisher's half vellum with morocco spine labels lettered in gilt gilt coat of arms to each front panel top edge gilt ribbons bound in frontispiece to each volume illustrated folding maps. In fine condition. A very attractive set. Scottish biographer diarist and lawyer James Boswell remains nest known for his seminal work The Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D. 1791 which is widely regarded as one of the greatest biographies in the English language. Drawing from extensive personal diaries and detailed records of conversations Boswell provided a richly textured portrait of Dr. Johnson capturing not only the public figure but also his private habits thoughts and idiosyncrasies. His method of biographical writing marked a significant departure from the formal often idealized portrayals common in earlier biographies favoring instead a more intimate and realistic narrative grounded in firsthand observation. Boswell’s work is also notable for its reflection of Enlightenment ideals his engagement with themes of identity and morality and its vivid depiction of 18th-century British society. William Heinemann Ltd hardcover
elala2630Oxford: At The Clarendon Press 1887. First Edition Edited by George Birkbeck Hill of the most famous biography in the English language. "The definitive edition with copious annotations and a model index." Encyc. Brit. 11th Edn. This has so long held the field as the one edition for scholarly use that it is most unlikely it will every be superseded Hills purpose was to surround Boswells book with as rich a mass of illustrative comment concerning the literature and literary men in Great Britain during the latter half of the eighteenth century as he could find reasonable connexion for in the allusions of the text His references to parallel passages in Johnsons own works constitute one of the most valuable features of the edition as the index to the Life serves in some measure as a concordance to the Works. The mass of pertinent illustrative material from other books shows Hill to have been easily the best-read of all the editors after Malone The great mass of pertinent matter from other books the fullness and convenience of the index and the uniform accuracy of the references make the edition one of the few indispensable tools for all workers in the eighteenth century. Pottle NCBEL II 1214. Pottle 98. cfGrolier One Hundred Books Famous In English Literature 65. 6 Volumes. 8vo. with half-titles. 6 portraits incl. 4 frontis. fold-out frontis. chart 6 folding facsimile letters some double-page & folding coloured map. original quarter morocco t.e.g. spines sunned with some wear to extremities Oxford: At The Clarendon Press, 1887 unknown
1768TSWABOSW16Glasgow: Printed By Robert and Andrew Foulis for Edward and Charles Dilly London 1768. 1768. 8vo. pp. xxi 1 leaf 382. complete with half-title but without final blank Aa8. folding engraved map by Thomas Phinn. engraved title vignette. contemporary sprinkled calf somewhat worn joints cracked & holding by cords several scratches on covers few short tears along map folds - no loss. First Edition. "This work made Boswell famous. It is a lively account of his Quixotic adventures in Corsica and his associations with General Paoli.for whom he endeavoured to get official British assistance. His childish pleasure in being the chief sponsor of this wild island struggling to become a nation led him to wear a Corsican costume at Garrick's anniversary celebration in honor of Shakespeare held in 1769.". Cox The Tour was highly praised by Dr. Johnson. In the present copy the folding map here placed before A6 is in the first state the 'Table of Contents' follows the 'Preface' cancel D2r is in the second state and cancel E2r in the first state Z3 is the usual cancel with recto and verso reset and misprints are as recorded by Pottle with those on pages 93 and 296 corrected. Cox I p. 138. Gaskell 473. NCBEL II 1211. Pottle 24. Rothschild 442. F. Glasgow: Printed By Robert and Andrew Foulis for Edward and Charles Dilly, London, 1768. unknown
17686395Glasgow: Printed by Robert and Andrew Foulis for Edward and Charles Dilly 1768. FIRST EDITION 8vo pp. ii xii i 382 folding map frontispiece. Contemporary calf spine divided by raised bands red morocco label edges sprinkled red. A little scattered spotting and soiling flyleaf nearly detached. Rubbed and marked ring-mark to front board spine creased head of spine worn. Ownership inscription of William Moys to flyleaf. The first edition of Boswell’s first proper book an account of his journey to Corsica and a biography of Corsican president Pascal Paoli. In this copy leaves E2 and Z3 are cancellentia. Neither Gaskell nor ESTC nor Pottle assign any precedence to the various textual variations found across printings with Pottle suggesting that the cancel leaves were printed in duplicate four copies of each across an octavo sheet resulting in slight differences alongside other misprints across the edition ‘no doubt corrected in the press’ p. 52. Rothschild records a few variations not mentioned by other bibliographers: the map in this copy is in his second state with the imprint to the bottom margin and on page 51 the words ‘John Home’ correctly follow the second quotation Rothschild’s second state again. Rothschild also differentiates the varying states of the cancel leaves with our E2 in his state ii though no information is given on how to distinguish the three states of Z3. ESTC T26157; Gaskell 473; Pottle 24; Rothschild 442. Printed by Robert and Andrew Foulis for Edward and Charles Dilly hardcover
1925792R13Bath: George Bayntun 1925. Fine Binding. Fine. 10.5" by 8". Various. A splendid Bayntun bound two volume new edition of Boswell's important biography lavishly illustrated throughout. Written by Scottish biographer James Boswell 1740-1795 this biography is often described as being the greatest biography ever written in English. Samuel Johnson 1709-1784 was an English poet essayist biographer and literary critic. He published 'A Dictionary of the English Language' in 1755 considered the foremost dictionary of the time until the Oxford English Dictionary was published 173 years later. He was a devout Anglican and firmly opposed slavery; his religious writings emphasize the goodness of charity repentance marriage and pride.A new edition with notes by Roger Ingpen.Profusely illustrated with five hundred and seventy six illustrations facsimiles and maps including thirteen plates in photogravure. Collated complete.A truly beautiful copy of this excellent edition of an influential English biography. In a half crushed morocco binding. Externally lovely with just the slightest rubbing to the tail of volume II. An ownership bookplate has been removed from the front pastedown of each volume. Internally firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean. Fine George Bayntun unknown
1896275727Westminster: Constable 1896. hardcover. fine. 6 volumes. Frontispiece protected with tissue guard in each volume. Titles in red and black. 12mos 3/4 black leather over marbled boards raised spine bands gilt stamped text and subtle decorations marbled endpapers. Westminster: Constable 1896. A fine set.<br/><br/> Constable unknown books
18315972London: John Murray 1831. Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson is a book that names names. Johnson during his long life came into contact with virtually everyone in British society who left a footprint and Boswell names them all. John Wilson Croker's edition of Boswell's great biography-offered here in its initial printing-inspired something of a fashion for collectors to gather up printed portraits of the figures named in the biography and have them bound into their copies of Croker's Boswell opposite the pages where the figure is named or discussed. The majority of the portraits scenes facsimiles and maps in this copy date from the first quarter of the 19th century while a few were printed in the late 1700s and the most recent ones date from the 1840s. Celebrity portraits include those of Johnson Boswell Hester Lynch Piozzi Richardson Rousseau Sterne Catherine the Great Leibnitz Byron Swift Joseph Banks Voltaire Madame de Sévigné Captain Cook Thomas Gray John Donne Adam Smith Walter Scott Joseph Addison Thomas Brown Montaigne Drake Milton and many many many others. Octavo 23 cm; 5 volumes. Extra-illustrated with 197 give or take black-and-white engravings some folding and 16 color stipple engravings including portraits facsimiles scenes and a map. Handsomely re-cased in 20th-century tan buckram with leather labels on spines titled in gilt. Some offsetting onto text pages from opposing plates but otherwise the text is in excellent condition. John Murray hardcover books
183128688London: John Murray. Near Fine with No dust jacket as issued. 1831. First Edition. First Printing. Leather. First edition thus. Bound in half brown calf over brown linen boards spine in six compartments separated by raised bands gilt lettering and borders in three compartments gilt borders in remainder and on covers t.e.g. light brown endpapers. Original cloth spine and covers bound in volume one. Illustrated with engraved portraits on each frontispiece fold-out map in volume two fold-out "Round Table" in volume three. John Wilson Croker 1780-1857 was a British statesman and author. He was educated at Trinity College Dublin where he graduated in 1800. Immediately afterwards he entered Lincoln's Inn and in 1802 he was called to the Irish bar. His interest in the French Revolution led him to collect a large number of valuable documents on the subject now in the British Museum. In 1809 Croker was appointed as secretary to the Admiralty. Many of his political speeches were published in pamphlet form. He was for many years one of the leading contributors on literary and historical subjects to the Quarterly Review with which he had been associated from its foundation. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography comments that "He had a wide appreciation of all varieties of literature and art which made him a valuable intermediary between the politicians and the public and he was an able writer lucid fluent and always well informed." "In 1831 Croker published a new edition of Boswell's Life of Johnson including the Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides which was vindictively attacked by Macaulay in the Edinburgh Review but which remained the best edition until superseded by the work of George Birkbeck Hill" - DNB. Pottle 91. Very ligh shelf-wear at head of spine in volume three else fine; unmarked seemingly unread tight hinges strong square and clean. A large heavy set 12 pounds - additional shipping charges may apply. NEAR FINE. . 8vo 8" - 9" tall. 532; 571; 565; 559; 551 pp . John Murray hardcover
18315972London: John Murray 1831. Octavo 23 cm; 5 volumes. Extra-illustrated with 197 give or take black-and-white engravings some folding and 16 color stipple engravings including portraits facsimiles scenes and a map. Handsomely re-cased in 20th-century tan buckram with leather labels on spines titled in gilt. Some offsetting onto text pages from opposing plates but otherwise the text is in excellent condition. <br /><br />Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson is a book that names names. Johnson during his long life came into contact with virtually everyone in British society who left a footprint and Boswell names them all. John Wilson Croker's edition of Boswell's great biography-offered here in its initial printing-inspired something of a fashion for collectors to gather up printed portraits of the figures named in the biography and have them bound into their copies of Croker's Boswell opposite the pages where the figure is named or discussed. The majority of the portraits scenes facsimiles and maps in this copy date from the first quarter of the 19th century while a few were printed in the late 1700s and the most recent ones date from the 1840s. Celebrity portraits include those of Johnson Boswell Hester Lynch Piozzi Richardson Rousseau Sterne Catherine the Great Leibnitz Byron Swift Joseph Banks Voltaire Madame de Sévigné Captain Cook Thomas Gray John Donne Adam Smith Walter Scott Joseph Addison Thomas Brown Montaigne Drake Milton and many many many others. John Murray hardcover
1896275727Westminster: Constable 1896. hardcover. fine. 6 volumes. Frontispiece protected with tissue guard in each volume. Titles in red and black. 12mos 3/4 black leather over marbled boards raised spine bands gilt stamped text and subtle decorations marbled endpapers. Westminster: Constable 1896. A fine set.<br/> <br/> Constable unknown
4 vols., 8vo., Fourth Edition, on laid paper, with engraved portrait frontispiece (by Baker after Reynolds) and 2 large folding facsimiles, frontispiece and facsimiles lightly age-soiled, some mild offsetting to title, neat signatures (one contemporary) on front endpapers; attractively bound in contemporary half calf, marbled boards, neatly rebacked in calf to style, backs with flat bands ruled in gilt, second and fifth comparrtments with red leather labels lettered in gilt, all other compartments tooled in gilt, red sprinkled edges, a very good, bright, clean copy. 'With this edition began the practice…of enlarging the text with unpublished letters which had not been available to Boswell…A considerable number of new notes were also added, including some by Dr. Kearney' (Pottle, pp.171-2). The frontispiece is from the same plate as that used in the second and third editions, but the two facsimiles are dated 1 May 1804. An attractive set in sympathetically restored period binding. Pottle, 83.
192845477Press. 1928-36. First Edition. Hardcover. Various; No. 377 of 570 sets -- 18 volumes designed by Bruce Rogers and printed by William Edwin Rudge. Illustrated with aquatone facsimile plates reproducing a number of manuscript documents in their original size. Blumenthal refers to these volumes as "magnificent examples of the arts of the printed book. They are surely the most impressive single monument of the Rudge/Rogers association." In 1928 this amazing collection of Boswell's papers long thought destroyed was sold by Boswell's great-granddaughter and her husband Lord Talbot to Lt. Col. Isham. Condition: Contents are clean and essentially Fine condition with exception of staining from taped autograph in Volume 1 see images. Bindings are generally faded at spine; a few volumes have significant loss of sizing/color or spotting at spines. Slipcases are often faded at spines with shallow chipping to paper spine lables; a few volumes have splitting or chipping. Individual volumes as below: Vol 1. Early Papers of James Boswell 1754-1763; has Geoffrey Scott's autograph taped onto the title page with old cello tape which has browned and stained offset to opposite blank page and faint bleed through to following page; otherwise contents quite nice in original red boards in faded slipcase. Small attractive armorial bookplate " Ma Foy Je Maintiendrai / TURNURE " with a dove aloft a crown above a shield. 12" X 9". Vol 2. Zelide; contents clean and secure in original bright red boards faded and foxed at spine; "Turnure" bookplate as described above; slipcase faded at spine shallow chipping to spine label. 12" X 9". Vol 3. Journal of a Tour through the Courts of Germany; contents clean and secure in original bright red boards with "Turnure" bookplate; book and slipcase faded at spine with 2 " split at top edges. 12" X 9". Vol 4. Boswell with Rousseau and Voltaire 1764; contents clean and secure in original bright red boards faded at spine wear along rear edge of spine with "Turnure" bookplate; slipcase widely faded at spine split and chipped at upper and lower edges 16" X 11". Vol 5. Porzia Sansedoni; contents clean and secure in original bright red boards faded at spine with "Turnure" bookplate; slipcase widely faded at spine. 12" X 9". Vol 6. The Making of The Life of Johnson contents clean and secure in original bright red boards with "Turnure" bookplate; book and slipcase faded at spine chipping and some splitting of case edges 14" X 10". -- Vols. 7-18 The Journal of James Boswell 1765-1794. Edited by Geoffrey Scott and Frederick A. Pottle -- Vol 7. 1765-1768 Corsica; contents clean and secure in original bright red boards with "Turnure" bookplate; book faded at spine with three small dark spots old ink smears; slipcase faded at spine 14" X 9.5". Vol 8. 1769 Margaret Montgomerie; contents clean and secure in original bright red boards; book faded at spine w/ loss of sizing in a couple spots; slipcase faded at spine. 12" X 9". Vol 9. 1772-1774 John Reid; contents clean and secure in original bright red boards; book and slipcase faded at spine 12" X 9". Vol 10. 1774-1775 William Miller; contents clean and secure in original bright red boards; book and slipcase faded at spine 12" X 9". Vol 11. 1775-1776 Margaret Caroline Rudd; contents clean and secure in original bright red boards; book and slipcase faded at spine 12" X 9". Vol 12. 1776-1777 David Hume; contents clean and secure in original bright red boards; book and slipcase faded at spine 12.75" X 9". Vol 13. 1777-1779 Ashbourne Journal; contents clean and secure in original bright red boards spine faded; slipcase rubbed at edges 13" X 9". Vol 14. 1779-1781 David Boswell; contents clean & secure in original bright red boards spine faded w/ significant loss of sizing; 13" X 9". Vol 15. 1781-1783 Laird of Auchinleck; contents clean & secure in original bright red boards spine faded; slipcase rubbed at edges; 13" X 9". Vol 16 contents clean & secure in original bright red boards spine faded w/ significant loss of sizing 13" X 9".Vol 17. 1783-1786 Lord MacDonald; contents clean and secure in original bright red boards with "Turnure" bookplate; book faded at spine; slipcase rubbed 12.5" X 9". Vol 18. 1789-1794 The Great Biographer; contents clean and secure in original bright red boards with "Turnure" bookplate; book faded at spine; slipcase rubbed 12.5" X 9". . Press hardcover
18318638London. John Murray. 1831. Very handsomely bound by Riviere and Sons in 3/4 gilt ruled crushed morocco and linen covered boards. Gilt ruled spine compartments with elaborate gilt tooled motifs. Gilt tooled raised bands. Marbled endsheets. t.e.g. 8vo. 5.5" x 8.5". A New Edition with numerous additions and notes by John Wilson Croaker. Illustrated with an engraved Frontis to each volume. This is the last Library Edition of Croaker's Boswell. Spines evenly attractively sunned. A Very Fine pristine set in a stupendous binding. John Murray. hardcover books
18318638London. John Murray. 1831. Very handsomely bound by Riviere and Sons in 3/4 gilt ruled crushed morocco and linen covered boards. Gilt ruled spine compartments with elaborate gilt tooled motifs. Gilt tooled raised bands. Marbled endsheets. t.e.g. 8vo. 5.5" x 8.5". A New Edition with numerous additions and notes by John Wilson Croaker. Illustrated with an engraved Frontis to each volume. This is the last Library Edition of Croaker's Boswell. Spines evenly attractively sunned. A Very Fine pristine set in a stupendous binding. John Murray. hardcover
178534031London: printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1785. First edition 8vo pp. vii 1 524 1; E3 E4 and M4 are cancels as usual; leaves I5 Q7 and U6 are in Pottle's second state; beneath the list of errata at the end is a notice for Boswell's Life of Johnson "preparing for the press" which did not appear for another 6 years; contemporary mottled calf neatly rebacked in tan calf gilt-paneled spine red morocco label; a very good sound copy. "Though the Life is a vaster and richer piece of work no one will maintain that it displays Boswell's unique gift for biography better than the Tour. Indeed most lovers of Boswell will agree that the Tour as a whole is more consistently good than the Life; that is that nowhere in the Life could one find so many consecutive first-class pages as those that compose this book" Pottle. The book published is almost the same as the actual journal that was kept in 1773. When Johnson's death made it possible for Boswell to publish the manuscript he only added an introduction and a conclusion before giving it to the printer. Pottle 57; Rothschild 456. <br/><br/> printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly unknown books
178534031London: printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1785. First edition 8vo pp. vii 1 524 1; E3 E4 and M4 are cancels as usual; leaves I5 Q7 and U6 are in Pottle's second state; beneath the list of errata at the end is a notice for Boswell's Life of Johnson "preparing for the press" which did not appear for another 6 years; contemporary mottled calf neatly rebacked in tan calf gilt-paneled spine red morocco label; a very good sound copy. "Though the Life is a vaster and richer piece of work no one will maintain that it displays Boswell's unique gift for biography better than the Tour. Indeed most lovers of Boswell will agree that the Tour as a whole is more consistently good than the Life; that is that nowhere in the Life could one find so many consecutive first-class pages as those that compose this book" Pottle. The book published is almost the same as the actual journal that was kept in 1773. When Johnson's death made it possible for Boswell to publish the manuscript he only added an introduction and a conclusion before giving it to the printer. Pottle 57; Rothschild 456. printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly unknown
183166493London: John Murray Albemarle-Street 1831. First Crocker edition 5 volumes 8vo each volume with engraved frontispiece plus the round-robin plate and a folding map of the Hebrides; original brown paper-covered boards printed paper labels on spines; some cracking of the joints especially on volume V extremities a bit chipped spine labels darkened; good and sound or better. This edition still stands as a monument of Johnsonian scholarship; but it was badly edited and much famously condemned by Macaulay. Seeing the problem Murray hastily engaged Wright to do a make-over and republished it in 1835. Pottle 91: "The publication of this remarkable edition opens an entirely new era in the history of Boswell's book. John Murray, Albemarle-Street unknown
45922New York NY: Gabriel Wells 1922. FINELY BOUND. In ten volumes. Medium Octavo. With a frontispiece engraving of Johnson and other engraved plates. No. 115 of 750 sets originally for sale. With a bibliographical introduction by Clement Shorter and an introduction to each vol. by the following: Aleyn Lyell Reade; Augustine Birrell; Prof. Trent; G.K. Chesterton; Edward Newton; John Drinkwater; R.B. Adam; Walter De La Mare; Prof. Tinker and Richard Ashe King. In contemporary brown half morocco by SANGORSKI AND SUTCLIFFE with raised bands and gilt titles to spines. Top edges gilt and marbled boards and end-papers. Some wear to joints otherwise near-fine. A superlative edition of Boswell's magnum opus. New York, NY: Gabriel Wells, 1922 unknown
1831SET4-E-3London: John Murray 1831. Leather. Very Good. 8.5" by 5.5". Various. A five volume set of James Boswell's biography of the life of Samuel Johnson in a uniform leather binding. A beautifully bound five volume set of the famous biography 'The Life of Samuel Johnson' by James Boswell Samuel Johnson 1709-1784 was an essayist critic and novelist compiler of the first Dictionary of the English Language and subject of Boswell's famous biography. Quite a celebrity during his own life he is now regarded one of the foremost critics of his time with a lasting influence on subsequent generations including T. S. Eliot. Johnson also significantly altered styles of travel and biographical writing. James Boswell 1740-95 is best known for his extensive journals that covered his travels and conversations with many of the great and the good of his day. He was great friends with Samuel Johnson and upon Johnson's death became his biographer. In full calf binding. Externally smart. There is some wear to the extremities including marks to the boards bumping to the corners and scuffing to the leather. Two volumes have been rebacked with new spines and title labels. The other three volumes have split hinges loose title labels with some loss and greater wear to the spine. There is a personalised bookplate on the front pastedown of each volume and a Ex Libris Universitatis Bristolliensis plate on each endpaper. Internally generally firmly bound. Pages are generally clean with the odd brown spot or handling mark. The spotting is worst on the first and last few pages of each volume. There is a discreet library stamp on the bottom of the title page of each volume and a shelf sticker at the bottom of each front pastedown. Very Good John Murray hardcover
