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The Battle of Life: A Love Story
by Charles Dickens
- Used
- good
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Good
- Seller
-
BATH, Somerset, United Kingdom
Item Price
A$480.10A$432.09
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Bradbury & Evans , 1846. First edition. Cloth. Good. 6.5" by 4.5". D Maclise; R Dole; C Stanfield; J Leech. A first edition, fourth issue of Charles Dickens's lesser known Christmas book, complete with thirteen plates of illustrations. The fourth of Dickens's Christmas Books, narrating of a charming love story set in an English village that stands on a site of a historic battle. It was first published on December 19, 1846, selling twenty-three thousand copies within the first twenty-four hours, despite being known as one of the lesser known of his 'Christmas Books.' An interesting book due to the unusual number of different issues within the first and only edition. The present is a fourth state, featuring 'A Love Story' on a banner carried by a naked cherub to additional vignette title page without publisher's information (John G. Eckel, A Bibliography). Featuring thirteen vignette illustrations, as well as a frontispiece and additional title page. From the library of Richard Wood, with his bookplate to front pastedown. In the original publisher's full crimson cloth binding with gilt to spine and front board, gilt to edges. Externally sound with shelf wear, bumped and chipped to extremities of spine and boards, back-strip now laid down. Richard Wood's bookplate to front pastedown. Front hinge slightly strained, holding firm. Internally, firmly bound. Odd light spotting to odd leaf, otherwise pages generally bright and clean. Good
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
- Rooke Books
(GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 823A27
- Title
- The Battle of Life: A Love Story
- Author
- Charles Dickens
- Illustrator
- D Maclise; R Dole; C Stanfield; J Leech
- Format/Binding
- Cloth
- Book Condition
- Used - Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Bradbury & Evans
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1846
- Size
- 6.5" by 4.5"
- Keywords
- first editons charles dickens illustrated battle of life charles dickens
Terms of Sale
Rooke Books
Books are sent on approval and may be returned in like condition for any reason within 14 days of receipt. Responsibility of return to be with the purchaser.
About the Seller
Rooke Books
Biblio member since 2007
BATH, Somerset
About Rooke Books
Welcome to Rooke Books Antiquarian Bookseller
We are a small team dedicated to bringing you very scarce books at reasonable prices. We specialise in rare and hard to come by works on all subjects over the last 500 years, together with modern first editions and decorative sets and bindings. Our library has something for every interest and specialism. We deliver worldwide using a fully tracked and insured courier delivery service.
Where are We?
Based in the literary city of Bath, our offices are housed in the Eastern Dispensary. Built in 1845, the building originally existed as a charitable institution providing medical care. The building now houses our collection of over twenty thousand books and has five full time members of staff.
We are a small team dedicated to bringing you very scarce books at reasonable prices. We specialise in rare and hard to come by works on all subjects over the last 500 years, together with modern first editions and decorative sets and bindings. Our library has something for every interest and specialism. We deliver worldwide using a fully tracked and insured courier delivery service.
Where are We?
Based in the literary city of Bath, our offices are housed in the Eastern Dispensary. Built in 1845, the building originally existed as a charitable institution providing medical care. The building now houses our collection of over twenty thousand books and has five full time members of staff.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- 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...
- 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...
- Shelf Wear
- Shelf wear (shelfwear) describes damage caused over time to a book by placing and removing a book from a shelf. This damage is...
- Hinge
- The portion of the book closest to the spine that allows the book to be opened and closed.
- 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...
- G
- Good describes the average used and worn book that has all pages or leaves present. Any defects must be noted. (as defined by AB...
- 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....
- Vignette
- A decorative design or illustration placed at the beginning or end of a ...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- 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...
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
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