The life of Samuel Johnson. LL.D. comprehending an account of his studies and numerous works in chronological order; a series of his epistolary correspondence and conversations with many eminent persons; and various original pieces of his composition never before published. The whole exhibiting a view of literature and literary men in Great Britain..
by Boswell, James
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
St. Paul, Minnesota, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly, 1791. First edition, the so-called second state with "give" reading on p. 135 in vol. I, 2 volumes, 4to, pp. xii, [16], 516; [2], 588; engraved portrait frontispiece by Heath after Joshua Reynolds, and with the Round Robin plate, and the plate showing facsimile signatures of Johnson; nice copy in contemporary full calf neatly and pleasingly rebacked sometime in the 20th century, preserving the old red and black morocco labels on spine; all the standard cancels are present, per Pottle. Regarding the "give" (versus "gve") reading, Pottle notes that the "booksellers have given this rather uninteresting 'point' more attention than it deserves." Celebrated for its intimacy and vividness, Boswell's Life of Johnson "is one of the best books in the world. It is assuredly a great, very great work. Homer is not more decidedly the first of the heroic poets, Shakespeare is not more decidedly the first of the dramatists, Demosthenes is not more decidedly the first of the orators, than Boswell is the first of biographers" (Macaulay). Grolier, English 100, no. 65; Rothschild 463; Pottle 79.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Rulon-Miller Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 53375
- Title
- The life of Samuel Johnson. LL.D. comprehending an account of his studies and numerous works in chronological order; a series of his epistolary correspondence and conversations with many eminent persons; and various original pieces of his composition never before published. The whole exhibiting a view of literature and literary men in Great Britain..
- Author
- Boswell, James
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1791
- Keywords
- , , ,
- Note
- May be a multi-volume set and require additional postage.
Terms of Sale
Rulon-Miller Books
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Rulon-Miller Books
Biblio member since 2006
St. Paul, Minnesota
About Rulon-Miller Books
Rare, Fine and Interesting Books in Many Fields from the 15th to the 21st Centuries
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Second State
- used in book collecting to refer to a first edition, but after some change has been made in the printing, such as a correction,...
- Calf
- Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
- Facsimile
- An exact copy of an original work. In books, it refers to a copy or reproduction, as accurate as possible, of an original...
- Plate
- Full page illustration or photograph. Plates are printed separately from the text of the book, and bound in at production. I.e.,...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Rebacked
- having had the material covering the spine replaced. ...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...