DECLINE & FALL of ROMAN EMPIRE - - SEALED by Gibbon,

Perfect condition! Shrink Wrap 5 volumes! Long discontinued from Easton Press. Note the progressively decaying Roman columns on the spines. -- This edition published by Easton Press was groundbreaking with his own text and even his footnotes where Gibbon offers some wry observations. Alternately scholarly and witty, this is more than a history of Rome; these events and issues shaped Western Civilization. It has often been called the greatest work of history every written in any language This work has been a foundation of great personal libraries for over 200 years. Rome didn't fall in a day, but why did it fall? Why did languages like Etruscan die out? How did Latin give way to the various modern languages we speak today? Why did Christianity supplant paganism? How did Roman rulers use religion to hold power, or keep peace? What were the splits in the early Christian church? How did Islam begin and why did it spread like wildfire? How did the Crusades get started? How did the great cities of Venice, Paris and London begin? The pairing of Gibbon's work with 64 etchings of incomparable Giovanni Battista Piranesi makes this a true gem and landmark publication. "The complete Gibbon spans thirteen centuries, from A.D. 180 to 1453, .... And how glorious does it swing across the gloomy and tumultuous chasm of these barbarous centuries" -- Thomas Carlyle. Whether you are a collector of Easton Press, a holder of a great personal library, or great student of history - This collection is a must. SEALED in original plastic shrink wrap. Only Vol 1-- very fine, unread -- has been opened. Bound in fine genuine leather, this utterly flawless, library-quality copy of Memoir is accented with 22k gold lettering and decorations and hubbed with Easton's distinctive raised spine rings. Page ends are gilded in 22k gold to protect against dust and humidity.Memoir is also printed on archival-quality acid-neutral paper, Smyth sewn for strength and durability. Endsheets of moire silk and a permanent satin ribbon page marker. Magnificent! Book #P4356. $600. We specialize in Rare Ayn Rand, history, and science.