(Military History- 14 Maps, Plates): The Naval History of Britain, from the Earliest Periods of Which There are Accounts...to the Conclusion of the Year M.DCC.LVI

by Berkley, Honourable Captain George (Commander of His Majesty's Ship Windsor)

Description

London: T. Osborne and J. Shipton (in Gray's-Inn); J. Hodges (near London Bridge)..., 1756. The dedication by John Hill indicates that this was issued after Berkley's death, and that the work had been completed posthumously. Small elephant folio (16 inches tall; 706 pp + index). Very detailed contents and index. Few small wormholes to right margin of first quarter of book; absolutely no intrusion into text, which is clean and bright. Early, probably original full leather boards with 6-band spine; some restoration with new endpapers. As expected, some scrapes and bumps to boards, but binding very tight. Very uncommon and extensive treatise on British naval history, with all original maps and plates (as per original binder's instructions at rear): frontispiece (decorative, allegorical, some verso repair), Chart of Great Britain..., Britain according to Division of the ROmans, England according to the Saxon Heptarchy, Death of William Rufus, Engagement off the Coast of Flanders, Chart of Europe and Africa, Head of SIr Francis Drake, Chart of Asia and America, Head of Sir Walter Raleigh, Head of Admiral Rssel, Sir Cloudesly Shovel's Engagement with the French, Pondicherry attacked by Adm. Boscawen, Progress of Ship Building. Two of the maps (Africa; Asia & America) have some marginal paper loss at the lower edge (about 1x2 inches for both), with some loss of titlel area in Asian map, and slight loss of lower edge past neatline for the African map, but the vast portion of those images are intact, and none of the loss is central. The first map (England) is clearly attributed to Emanuel Bowen in the decorative cartouche, but the others do not specifically show this. The engravings are quite nice, and historical details involve diverse economic issues, including the slave trade, and forays to the Americas. The full page busts of Sirs Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh are really quite wonderful, as are the plates with ships. There is surprisingly little browning to the text and plates. . Full-Leather. Elephant Folio - over 15" - 23" tall.