Napoleon

London: Thomas and William Boone, 1853. 6 volume set, 7 3/4 inches tall. A very neat Victorian full calf by T. Hatchard with gilt raised bands, twin labels and handsome gilt tooling to the panels. Triple blind fillets and corner tools frame the boards. Red speckled edges. Embellished with 55 full page engraved maps and battle plans. A fine set of one of the most celebrated works on the battles on the Iberian Peninsular during the Napoleonic Wars fought between the ultimately successful forces of Great Britain, Spain and Portugal against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire.

London: Richard Bentley, 1837. 6 volume set, 9" tall. A very pretty later full calf by Riviere with gilt raised bands, twin labels and very fine gilt tooling around a cornucopia. Twin gilt fillets frame the boards, dentelles and gilt top edge. There is a degree of rubbing and weakness to the shoulders and slight blotchiness to the spines. Embellished with 24 full page engraved plates and 28 folding tables. A very good looking set of this great work which covers the period from 'The Declaration of War by France in 1793, to the Accession of George IV'.

London: Patrick Martin, 1816. Full calf, 9 inches tall. A splendid later full calf with gilt raised bands, ornate gilt panels and twin labels. Gilt dentelles and top edge. With 15 full page hand-coloured aquatints, as called for. With its felt lined buckram slip case. Predating Mitford's 'Adventures of Johnny Newcombe in the Navy' this hilarious satire presents our hero as he begins his military career on dry land. We witness his experiences in Pall Mall and then onto The Peninsula War in which he helps repel the invading French forces of Napoleon.

Paris: Ménard et Desenne, 1816. 2 volume set, 8 1/4 inches tall. A splendid half mottled calf with gilt bands, centre tools and titles. A limited edition of which this set is numbered 223. There is an ink smudge on the title page of volume 1, otherwise the set is pristine inside and out. From the library of Charles William Vane (formerly Stewart), third Marquess of Londonderry, and with his elaborate bookplate. Vane served with distinction throughout the Peninsula War. His dashing and dandified portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence is at the National Portrait Gallery. He amassed magnificent libraries in his various Country Houses. A very fine set of a scarce work.

London: Henry G. Bohn, 1845. 3 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. A very smart early Victorian half dark blue calf with gilt raised bands, fine gilt tooling to the panels around a martial centre tool and contrasting label. Embellished with 48 engraved plates, including 3 vignettes to the title pages and further vignettes throughout. Many of the engraved battle plans have hand-colouring. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, was one of the greatest British military leaders and political figures during the first half of the nineteenth century. He twice served as Prime Minister and was the British commander who ended the Anglo-Mysore wars in 1799 and the Napoleonic Wars with the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

London: Richard Bentley, 1883. 3 volume set, 9 inches tall. A very handsome late Victorian half calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and elegant gilt tooling to the panels. Bumped tips. With 20 engraved plates, as called for. A handsome 'New and Revised Edition' of this classic work on Napoleon by the wife of General Jean-Andoche Junot, one of Napoleons most trusted officers during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.

London: Arthur L. Humphreys, 1903. Half morocco, 6 1/2 inches tall. A lovely heavy half morocco for Sawyer with gilt raised bands, top edge and simple gilt framed panels with corner tools. One of Arthur L. Humphreys deluxe printings on hand-made paper. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. Parallel texts in French and English. A delightful copy of this scarce work.

London: John Murray, 1831. Half calf, 6 inches tall. A delightful little William IV half calf with gilt raised bands and delicate gilt tooling to the panels. Engraved frontispiece, further engraved portrait and folding genealogical table. An interesting work describing the family, wives, ministers and generals of Napoleon.