THE HISTORY OF NAPOLEON BUONAPARTE, 1829, WITH 14 HAND-COLORED PLATES
(NAPOLEON) (SCOTT, Sir Walter) [LOCKHART, John Gibson, editor]. The History of Napoleon Buonaparte. London: John Murray, 1829. Two volumes bound in one. Small octavo, modern full brown morocco, spines with gilt bee emblems, raised bands. Housed in a custom cloth slipcase.
Lovely early edition of this popular illustrated biography of Napoleon, a digest of Sir Walter Scott's 1827 Life of Napoleon, with 15 steel- and wood-engraved plates, 14 finely hand-colored, handsomely bound.
A leader who "occupies a high rank in the military history of the ages… The greatness of Napoleon was that he tried to transcend human limitations and nearly succeeded." Even to critics such as Chateaubriand, Napoleon was "the mightiest breath of life which ever quickened human clay" (McLynn, 664-5). This appealing history follows Napoleon from birth to death, paying ample attention to the fascinating details of his imperial reign. John Gibson Lockhart, acclaimed Scottish biographer, critic and editor of the Quarterly Review, was the anonymous editor of this work. "He was editor for many works published by John Murray, including all but the scientific volumes of the Family Library, for which he wrote the first number for the series, a two-volume biography of Napoleon (1829), a digest, or 'compendium,' of Scott's Life of Napoleon (1827)" (ODNB). "New edition" stated on title page; issued the same year as the first.
Only mild foxing to plates, chiefly marginal, text clean, binding handsome and fine.