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The Battle of Life.: A love story.
by DICKENS, Charles
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
London, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Bradbury & Evans,, 1846. Dickens at Christmas First edition, second state, rather than the far more common fourth state. The Battle of Life is the fourth of Dickens's Christmas books. The first state of the engraved title page has "A love story" without a banner, the second state with a banner and without a figure. Both were available on publication day, 19 December 1846. The third and fourth state have a banner with a figure. Octavo. Original red cloth, titles and decoration to spine and front cover in gilt, elaborate frame stamped in blind to covers, yellow coated endpapers, gilt edges. Housed in a red cloth slipcase. Engraved frontispiece and title page with tissue-guard, 11 illustrations in the text. Neat contemporary ownership signature to half-title. Joints and extremities skilfully restored, slight finger-soiling to contents. A very good copy. Smith II, 8.
Synopsis
Once upon a time, it matters little when, and in stalwart England, it matters little where, a fierce battle was fought. It was fought upon a long summer day when the waving grass was green. Many a wild flower formed by the Almighty Hand to be a perfumed goblet for the dew, felt its enamelled cup filled high with blood that day, and shrinking dropped. Many an insect deriving its delicate colour from harmless leaves and herbs, was stained anew that day by dying men, and marked its frightened way with an unnatural track.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Peter Harrington
(GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 166867
- Title
- The Battle of Life.
- Author
- DICKENS, Charles
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Place of Publication
- London: Bradbury & Evans,
- Date Published
- 1846
Terms of Sale
Peter Harrington
All major credit cards are accepted. Both UK pounds and US dollars (exchange rate to be agreed) accepted. Books may be returned within 14 days of receipt for any reason, please notify first of returned goods.
About the Seller
Peter Harrington
Biblio member since 2006
London
About Peter Harrington
Since its establishment, Peter Harrington has specialised in sourcing, selling and buying the finest quality original first editions, signed, rare and antiquarian books, fine bindings and library sets. Peter Harrington first began selling rare books from the Chelsea Antiques Market on London's King's Road. For the past twenty years the business has been run by Pom Harrington, Peter's son.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Second State
- used in book collecting to refer to a first edition, but after some change has been made in the printing, such as a correction,...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- First State
- used in book collecting to refer to a book from the earliest run of a first edition, generally distinguished by a change in some...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
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