BURTON, Richard Francis The Book of the Sword. London: Chatto and Windus, 1884. 8 o (279 x 200 mm). Wood-engraved vignettes throughout. Contemporary gilt decorated morocco gilt, spine with 3 gilt lettered black morocco labels by Sangorski and Sutcliffe for J.W. Robinson Company, original cloth covers and spine bound in, edges gilt; slipcase. VERY RARE FIRST EDITION IN FINE CONDITION, WITH AN AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED BY BURTON to Wareing Faulder fully quoted in Penzer's bibliography: "Trieste, Austria, April 20, 1884. My Dear Sir, Accept my best thanks for yours of March 4th; I was prevented from answering it at once by an ugly attack which confined me to bed. Would you add to your kindness by writing on the back of the enclosed photos a few notes on state of specimens, length and shape of blade, maker's marks and inscriptions, if any. These details will be invaluable. In preparing my second volume, it will begin with: - Cap. I Ireland (Celts); then Cap. II, Germany; Cap. III, Byzantines; Cap. IV, Arabs, rise of El Islam-the Damascus blade; Cap. V, Spanish; Cap. VI, Toledo and Bilboa; Cap. VII, Mediaeval swords generally, distributed into centuries-and followed by chapters on various subjects: e.g. Cap. VIII, Famous blades; Cap. IX Inscriptions; Cap. X, Sword-makers' marks-and whatever else may suggest itself. Do you like the scheme? and have you anything to propose by way of a change? Requesting you to excuse the trouble I am giving you, I am, Yours very faithfully, R.F. Burton. W. Wareing Faulder, Esq. P.S.-Do you recall to mind any of the multitudinous mediaeval legends of the sword and have you made a study of that branch of weapon-lore?" Intended by Burton as the first of a three-volume work. "The history of the Sword is the history of humanity," he wrote, but his book "fell still-born on the public" and his manuscript notes were so incomplete at his death that no publisher would take on the job of the subsequent volumes. The many hundred pages of his notes, letters and material for these are with his personal library. He had worked on the book from the early 1870's but didn't get it published until 1884. Penzer 107-112; Casada 27.
BURTON, Richard Francis The Book of the Sword. London: Chatto and Windus, 1884. 8 o (279 x 200 mm). Wood-engraved vignettes throughout. Contemporary gilt decorated morocco gilt, spine with 3 gilt lettered black morocco labels by Sangorski and Sutcliffe for J.W. Robinson Company, original cloth covers and spine bound in, edges gilt; slipcase. VERY RARE FIRST EDITION IN FINE CONDITION, WITH AN AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED BY BURTON to Wareing Faulder fully quoted in Penzer's bibliography: "Trieste, Austria, April 20, 1884. My Dear Sir, Accept my best thanks for yours of March 4th; I was prevented from answering it at once by an ugly attack which confined me to bed. Would you add to your kindness by writing on the back of the enclosed photos a few notes on state of specimens, length and shape of blade, maker's marks and inscriptions, if any. These details will be invaluable. In preparing my second volume, it will begin with: - Cap. I Ireland (Celts); then Cap. II, Germany; Cap. III, Byzantines; Cap. IV, Arabs, rise of El Islam-the Damascus blade; Cap. V, Spanish; Cap. VI, Toledo and Bilboa; Cap. VII, Mediaeval swords generally, distributed into centuries-and followed by chapters on various subjects: e.g. Cap. VIII, Famous blades; Cap. IX Inscriptions; Cap. X, Sword-makers' marks-and whatever else may suggest itself. Do you like the scheme? and have you anything to propose by way of a change? Requesting you to excuse the trouble I am giving you, I am, Yours very faithfully, R.F. Burton. W. Wareing Faulder, Esq. P.S.-Do you recall to mind any of the multitudinous mediaeval legends of the sword and have you made a study of that branch of weapon-lore?" Intended by Burton as the first of a three-volume work. "The history of the Sword is the history of humanity," he wrote, but his book "fell still-born on the public" and his manuscript notes were so incomplete at his death that no publisher would take on the job of the subsequent volumes. The many hundred pages of his notes, letters and material for these are with his personal library. He had worked on the book from the early 1870's but didn't get it published until 1884. Penzer 107-112; Casada 27.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
