A Short-Title Catalogue of Books Printed in England, Scotland and Ireland and of English Books Printed Abroad 1475-1640. Vols I & II [ Second, best, edition, 2 vols only of 3, Interleaved issues ]

Bibliographical Society, London, second edition (revised and enlarged) edition, interleaved issues, 1976 -1986. 2 vols, cloth, large 8vo,. liii, 620 + xi, 494 pp, interleaved with blanks. 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. These copies are also the special interleaved edition, with blank leaves for notes alternating with each printed leaf.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 two volumes included here are - Vol 1 : A-H and Vol 2 : I-Z. [ Not included is: 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. Very Good copies, volume 1 without dustwrapper and volume II with a slightly discoloured dustwrapper.