Amenities of Literature (1841)
Description
Amenities of Literature Consisting of Sketches and Characters of English Literature (1841)
by Isaac D'Israeli
Size 8 ¾ x 5 ½. In English. Published by Edward Moxon, Dover Street, London, 1841. FIRST EDITION. Three Volumes. Complete. Quarter calf over very elaborate marbled boards. Sharp corners. Raised bands, with lovely gilt spine compartments, with black and maroon morocco title labels. Light rubbing to small portions of the joints and extremities. Equally as elaborate marbled pastedowns and endpapers. Edges witheye-popping marbling. Some of the best we’ve seen – in any era. Half title page in each volume. Text with virtually no signs of use or foxing, which suggest a high-quality paper was used. Save for a reasonable amount of self-wear for a set of this age, we consider this copy as near-fine as it gets. Factor in its rarity, you’ve got something special. Very few copies are publicly available for sale. A truly rare set indeed.
Isaac D'Israeli's “Amenities of Literature” was published in 1841, when the author was seventy-five years old. The title was adopted to connect it with two preceding volumes, “Curiosities of Literature” and “Miscellanies of Literature.” During his studies for this book, Isaac went blind, and finished this book with his daughter's assistance. D'Israeli (1766-1848) was an assimilated first generation English Jew. His father, a merchant, had immigrated from Italy 18 years before Isaac's birth. He was a writer and scholar and became one of the noted bibliophiles of his time. He wrote several English adaptations of traditional tales from the Middle East, some historical biographies, and several poems. In addition to Amenities of Literature, his most popular work was a collection of essays entitled Curiosities of Literature, which was a collection of anecdotes about historical persons and events, unusual books, and the habits of book-collectors. His book The Life and Reign of Charles I (1828) earned him a Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) from Oxford University. His son, Benjamin Disraeli (1804-81), who edited this book, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1868 and again from 1874 to 1880.
Price: $495
Shipping: FREE via USPS Media Mail
Inventory Number: 82183
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