Waterloo

1870 · 23094 — Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons 1870. 2 volumes. RARE FIRST EDITION IN PRESENTATION BINDING. A UNIQUE COPY. A family presentation copy inscribed to George E. Mercer from I. Tod-Mercer and dated 1896. 8vo in a beautiful Zaehnsdorf signed binding dated 1896 thus no doubt custom made for the presentation to George E. Mercer. The binding is of full crushed scarlet morocco richly adorned in fine late-Victorian style. The boards feature a wide frame of gilt vines flowers and thistles which is further ruled in gilt then further surrounded by minutely detailed gilt rolling the upper boards also lettered “Mercer’s Waterloo†in fine gilt stamping the smooth rounded spines with gilt lettering with a gilt oval surrounded by more gilt vines and flowers which then grow both up and below to fully frame the spine panel board edges gilt ruled wide turn-ins gilt tooled in the same motif as the covers silk endpapers with powder blue moire pattern and further gilt tooling complete this beautiful presentation a.e.g. xii 369; viii 347 pp. An extraordinary set the condition remains outstanding. The text-block is essentially pristine the fine bindings show only the most minimal evidence of age. Truly and outstanding and unique copy. A SCARCE AND IMPORTANT FIRST EDITION SCARCE IN ANY STATE AND THIS AN EXTRAORDINARY COPY. Mercer's ‘Journal’ is an important source for historians of the Waterloo campaign as well as a detailed description of the landscape and people of Belgium and France in the early 19th century. It is one of the few accounts of the period written by an artillery officer. Mercer’s journals were kept throughout the campaign of 1815 but were not published until 1870 after his death. The work was compiled and written in its finished form some 30 years earlier from the original notes Mercer wrote contemporaneously with additions and verifications from correspondence and other sources. It covers the period from April 1815 to January 1816. Although he eventually rose to the rank of general his fame is as commander of the British G Troop Royal Horse Artillery in the thick of the fighting at the Battle of Waterloo. It is also notable for its lengthy descriptions of the countryside and its people.<br> In spite of his position with the British Army the work is usually found in 20th Century editions in French. Its historical value in the English-speaking nations was largely overlooked till its rediscovery with a Praeger edition in 1970. William Blackwood and Sons hardcover