Chronicles of nations, dynasties, revolutions, and diplomacy. Royal edicts, eyewitness memoirs, and Enlightenment histories tracing political power from the Ancien Régime to the Napoleonic era.
Paris: Durand, neveu, rue Galande, Hôtel de Leseville, 1788-1789. Edition: Cinquième Édition (Fifth Edition) Binding: Contemporary full calf, spines with gilt tooling and contrasting leather labels titled in gilt; raised bands. Description: Complete in three volumes. Abbé Millot, a member of the Académie Française, was a highly regarded Enlightenment historian.....
Lugduni Batavorum (Leiden): Elzeviriana (Elzevier Press), 1631. Illustration: Engraved title by Cornelis II Dusend Janssen (Cornelis Galle II) Edition: First Elzevir edition (1631) Binding: Contemporary full red morocco, gilt fillet and fleuron borders, spine richly gilt in compartments, gilt title “Gallico Belgic.” All edges gilt, with marbled endpapers. Description: First.....
Amsterdam: Guiljelmus (Willem) Blaeu, 1635. Illustration: Engraved title-page vignette with coats of arms and allegorical figures Edition: First edition thus in the Blaeu-printed Respublicae series Binding: Contemporary limp vellum, yapp edges, manuscript spine title in a fine early hand. Vellum toned and lightly soiled, naturally aged with attractive patina; structurally.....
La Haye [actually Paris]: Chez Buisson, Libraire, Hôtel de Coëtlosquet, rue Hautefeuille, No. 20, 1788. Edition: First edition, complete in six volumes Binding: Contemporary half calf over mottled boards, spines gilt in compartments with ornamental tools and titles in gilt, marbled endpapers. Some rubbing and wear to spine caps and.....
Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, High Street; sold also by G. & W.B. Whittaker (London) and W. Turnbull (Glasgow). 1820. Illustration: Embellished with 24 woodcuts (depicting Bedouins, Natives of Kamtschatka, Corea, China, Otaheite, Esquimaux, etc.). Edition: Second Edition Binding: Contemporary quarter calf with marbled paper boards, gilt spine rules, spine labels.....
Lugduni Batavorum (Leiden): Ex officina Elzeviriana, 1629. Illustration: Engraved allegorical title-page with portrait medallion, allegorical figures, and royal arms of France. Edition: Elzevir edition, 1629 — one of the earliest issues in the celebrated Respublicae (“Republics”) series. Binding: Contemporary limp vellum with yapp edges, spine neatly titled in ink Descriptio.....
Paris: Pierre Rocolet, Imprimeur & Libraire ordinaire du Roy, 1639. Edition: First French edition Binding: Contemporary limp vellum, made from manuscript waste with visible script. Soiled and worn, but sound. Description: Rare Paris printing from 1639, a royalist polemic defending the rights and prerogatives of the French monarchy during the.....
Cologne [actually Holland/Amsterdam?]: Adrien L’Enclume, gendre de Pierre Marteau (false imprint), 1710. Illustration: Decorative woodcut initials and ornaments throughout Edition: First edition (false imprint, Cologne 1710) Binding: Contemporary full calf, spine with raised bands (defective, boards worn, spine partially perished, cords exposed); unrestored, in original state Description: First edition of.....
Paris: Antonin Deshayes, 1723. Edition: First edition Binding: Contemporary full calf, spine richly gilt in compartments with raised bands and contrasting red label; boards worn, corners bumped, loss at head of spine, joints rubbed but sound. Thick 12mo. Description: A substantial early 18th-century compendium of historical curiosities, anecdotes, and remarkable.....
Paris: Jean Petit and Ioannis Parvus, 1530. Edition: Paris Renaissance folio edition, printed by Jean Petit and Ioannis Parvus, 1530 Binding: Contemporary full calf, spine richly gilt in compartments with floral devices, raised bands; gilt title label. Boards rubbed and worn, corners rounded, head of spine chipped; binding tight with.....
Venice: Giovanni de’ Picchi & Fratelli, 1578. Edition: Venetian vernacular edition, corrected and enlarged Binding: Contemporary limp vellum, manuscript title “Platina” to spine, early shelf marks to cover; vellum darkened, wrinkled, and with losses at extremities; ties lacking. Thick folio. Description: A monumental Venetian folio — the Renaissance’s great history.....
Paris: Pierre Prault, 1713. Edition: First edition Binding: Contemporary full calf, spine gilt in compartments with floral tooling and red leather title label. Boards rubbed and worn, joints cracked but holding; corners rounded. 12mo. Red edges. Description: An eyewitness account of exile, diplomacy, and intrigue in the aftermath of one.....
Amsterdam: Ex Typographejo Joannis Blaeu, 1654. Illustration: With numerous large folding genealogical tables Edition: First Edition Binding: Two folio volumes, contemporary full vellum with manuscript spine titles, sprinkled edges Description: A monumental pair of folio volumes, printed in Amsterdam in 1654 by Joannes Blaeu, presenting the most ambitious genealogical defense.....
Paris: Dépôt du Mémorial; Bossange Frères; Béchet Aîné; Lecointe & Durey; Roret, 1824. Illustration: Folding engraved plan of Longwood House (only plate called for) Edition: 1824 Reprint Edition (corrected and expanded) Binding: Contemporary quarter cloth with blue marbled paper boards; spines with gilt ornaments and contrasting leather title labels; red-sprinkled.....
Paris: Chez F. Buisson, Libraire, rue Hautefeuille, no. 20, 1794-1795. Edition: First French edition Binding: Contemporary French full tree calf, spines richly gilt in compartments with diamond and floral tools, red morocco spine labels, gilt board edges, marbled endpapers, speckled edges. 2 vols., 8vo. Description: A handsome copy of the.....
Paris: Chez Duprat-Duverger, 1814. Edition: 1814 edition; apparently the first edition of the work. Binding: Apparently contemporary full calf, smooth gilt-tooled spine with red leather title label. Description: First edition of Catherine-Joseph-Ferdinand Girard de Propiac's illustrated survey of military history, published in Paris by Duprat-Duverger in 1814. Intended for the.....
Venice: Gabriel Giolito de’ Ferrari e fratelli, 1552. Illustration: Woodcut initials and printer’s device Edition: First edition Edition: First edition Binding: Contemporary limp vellum, manuscript title on spine in red ink, edges plain. Description: A handsome and well-preserved first edition of Girolamo Faleti’s Delle guerre di Alamagna, printed in Venice.....
Geneva: Fabry & Barillot, 1777. Edition: Nouvelle édition, exactement revue & corrigée (1777) Binding: Contemporary mottled calf, spines gilt with contrasting leather labels (tan and black), volume numbers gilt. Boards rubbed with age, spines showing surface wear but sound; corners lightly worn. Marbled paper sides in attractive period style. Purple.....
Vienne (Vienna): Jean Thom. de Trattnern, Libraire et Imprimeur de la Cour, 1783. Illustration: Engraved heraldic title vignette; engraved plates of order’s insignia; decorative ornaments and tailpieces. Edition: Court edition, printed by Jean Thom. de Trattnern, imperial printer, 1783. Binding: Contemporary mottled calf, gilt-decorated spine with red morocco label, marbled.....
Paris: Jacques de Sanlecque, 1613. Edition: Early French edition, Paris 1613 Binding: Contemporary limp vellum, hand-lettered spine title, old paper label at foot of spine (“4696”), remains of ties. Vellum worn and soiled, loss at head of spine, worming and abrasions to rear cover. Contemporary ink titling also on textblock.....
Paris: Chez Cuchet, Libraire, Rue et Hôtel Serpente. 1787. Illustration: Engraved allegorical frontispieces and fold-out maps of the United States and regions of North America. Edition: French edition, first Paris printing, translated from the English original (1782). Binding: Three volumes in handsome contemporary mottled calf, gilt spines richly decorated with.....
Saint-Dié (Lorraine, France): Dominique-Joseph Bouchard, Imprimeur & Libraire, 1726. Illustration: Title-page with engraved ecclesiastical arms; typographic ornaments Edition: First edition Binding: Contemporary full calf, spine with raised bands, red morocco title label gilt-lettered “Hist. de l’Egl. des D.”, rubbed and worn with surface abrasions; corners bumped, hinges tender but holding.....
London: W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1783. Edition: Fifth Edition, Corrected Binding: Contemporary full tree-calf, gilt-tooled borders in Greek key and floral patterns, gilt spines with red and black morocco title/volume labels. Spines richly gilt but with some rubbing, chipping at head and tail, and cracking to joints. Marbled endpapers.....
Hamburg: A Hambourg (Hamburg), 1756. Illustration: Engraved frontispiece portrait of Françoise d’Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon Edition: Nouvelle édition, revue & corrigée (1756 Hamburg printing, third edition) Binding: Contemporary full calf, spines gilt in compartments with floral ornaments and circular tools, gilt titles and volume numbers (“MEMOIR DE M. MAINTENON”). Red-sprinkled.....
Paris: Guillaume de Luyne, 1667. Illustration: Printer’s woodcut ornament on title page Edition: First French edition (1667) Binding: Contemporary mottled calf, spine gilt in compartments with floral tooling and raised bands. Red edges. Binding rubbed and worn, with loss at head of spine and cracking to joints, but intact and.....