Gibbon and Rome
London: Sheed and Ward LTD., 1958. Item #1547 8vo. 205 x 135 mm., [8 ¼ x 5 ¼ inches]. viii + 198 pp., including Appendices: Note on Source; Index. Publishers’ red cloth over boards with black lettering on the spine; unclipped illustrated dust jacket. Book is Fine: small dent at the top right corner of the lower cover. Jacket is Fine: moderate soiling and shelf wear. Overall, an attractive copy in excellent condition. First Edition. A concise but thorough biography of Edward Gibbon whose The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire has become one of the most enduring works of historical writing despite, as E. J. Oliver points-out, its many historical and stylistic flaws. In the present work Oliver examines Gibbon’s lifelong obsession with Rome and attempts to explain why his great work continues to grab hold of readers even hundreds of years after its initial publication.
Price: $35.00