A Short-Title Catalogue of Books Printed in England, Scotland and Ireland and of English Books Printed Abroad 1475-1640. volumes I, II & III. [ Second, best, edition, complete Set, 3 volumes ]

Bibliographical Society, London, second edition, 1976 -1991. 3 vols, cloth, large 8vo,. liv, 620 + xii, 494 + xx, 405 pp. Approximately 36,000 entries. This is the much enlarged second (latest) edition, which added some 10,000 entries to those in the first edition, corrected many errors, and much expanded and improved the indexing. A superb work, which one reviewer described as 'the most meticulous and definitive extended work of bibliography, in any language and on any subject, ever achieved'. The three volumes are - Vol 1 : A-H; Vol 2 : I-Z; Vol 3 : A Printers' & Publishers' Index, Other Indexes & Appendices, Cumulative Addenda & Corrigenda. STC is an 'imprint catalogue' which aims to include a short title (five words minimum) of every book or broadside printed in England from the beginning of printing in 1476 to 31 December 1640, and of every such publication in any British language printed anywhere in the world before that end-date. So among types of material included are 16th century bibles and prayerbooks, works in print before 1641 of Chapman, Holinshed, Shakespeare, Sidney, Spenser, Greek texts printed at Eton, Italian-language erotica with false imprints produced in London, Irish texts printed in Holland, etc etc. For many of the lesser known authors included there is no adequate bibliography and reference to STC is essential. The third volume, new to this second edition, includes several valuable indexes including an annotated printers and publishers' index, an index of places of business in London, and a chronological index, cross-reference concordances from Bosanquet, Duff, and Greg to STC, and summaries of various aspects of the London booktrade. Some corners a little bumped, boards slightly scuffed, otherwise Near Very Good.