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A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland.
by Johnson, Samuel
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Printed for W. Strahan; and T. Cadell, 1775. FIRST EDITION, second printing, 8vo, pp. [iv], 384. Six-line errata leaf bound after title-page. Contemporary calf, spine divided by raised bands, red morocco label, other compartments with central gilt tools. Some spotting and toning, errata leaf trimmed at fore-margin. Rather rubbed, extremities a touch worn, joints cracked but cords holding. Early ownership inscription of John Jones of Trinity College, Oxford to flyleaf. Todd’s ‘B’ issue - technically really a second edition, as the text was significantly reset between the two printings - of Johnson’s famous early Scottish travel narrative, post-dating but far more influential than Pennant’s Tour in Scotland in 1769. ESTC T83702.
Synopsis
"I mentioned our design to Voltaire," wrote Boswell. "He looked at me as if I had talked of going to the North Pole …" As it turned out, Johnson enjoyed their Scottish journey (although the land was not quite so wild and barbaric as perhaps he had hoped), and Boswell delighted in it. The year was 1773, they were sixty-three and thirty-two years old, and had been friends for ten years. Their journals, published together here, perfectly complement each other. Johnson's majestic prose and hawk eye for curious detail take in everything from the stone arrowheads found in the Hebrides, to the 'medicinal' waters of Loch Ness and 'the mischiefs of emigration'. Meanwhile, it is very lucky that as Johnson was observing Scotland, Boswell was observing Johnson. His record is perceptive, highly entertaining and full of sardonic wit; for him, as for us, it is an appetizer for The Life of Johnson .
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Details
- Bookseller
- McNaughtan's Bookshop
(GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 5912
- Title
- A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland.
- Author
- Johnson, Samuel
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Printed for W. Strahan; and T. Cadell
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1775
- Keywords
- Travel & Topography Scottish
Terms of Sale
McNaughtan's Bookshop
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About the Seller
McNaughtan's Bookshop
Biblio member since 2018
Edinburgh, Midlothian
About McNaughtan's Bookshop
Established in 1957, McNaughtan's Bookshop is the oldest surviving secondhand and antiquarian bookshop in Scotland. Located in the basement of a listed 1820s tenement building at the top of Edinburgh's Leith Walk, we are the only open shop in Edinburgh holding membership of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association. We stock rare, antiquarian, and collectable books on all subjects, along with a substantial range of secondhand books for browsing. Our gallery space currently hosts Typewronger Books, offering new books and secondhand typewriters.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- 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...
- 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...
- Raised Band(s)
- Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the...
- Calf
- Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
- Cracked
- In reference to a hinge or a book's binding, means that the glue which holds the opposing leaves has allowed them to separate,...
- 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....
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Errata
- Errata: aka Errata Slip A piece of paper either laid in to the book correcting errors found in the printed text after being...
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