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Island Books

Fine and Rare Books in the Heart of Britain's West Country

MAHAN (A.T), Rear-Admiral.: The Influence of Sea Power upon History 1660-1783. IN MERCHANT TAYLORS' PRIZE BINDING WITH BOOKPLATE , Sampson Low Marston & Co., [1890]

8vo., First UK Edition, with 18 plates containing 24 plans of naval battles, and 3 full-page maps and a large folding map on japon, small neat signature on front free endpaper; handsomely bound in full green calf, sides with double frame border stopped at corners by rosettes all in gilt enclosing the MT crest and caption elaborately blocked and lettered in gilt, back with five raised bands ruled in gilt, second compartment with leather label ruled and lettered in gilt, all other compartments ruled and tooled in gilt to a floral design, marbled edges, doublures tooled in blind, marbled endpapers, backstrip moderately sunned to brown (with most gilt reduced to blind) joints very lightly rubbed else a most attractive, remarkably bright, clean copy. With the impressive Merchant Taylors' School bookplate (blocked in gilt and framed in blue) on front paste-down. This copy was awarded as the Rickards History Prize for 1905. The bookplate is completed for F. Stroud Read, whose neat signature appears on front free endpaper. Mahan's most celebrated work, written whilst still a captain, and first published in Boston earlier the same year. It is here that Mahan coins the term 'sea power' and in a masterly opening chapter defines the elements of this concept. Thereafter he embarks on a stage-by-stage analysis of the maritime conflicts that resulted in Britain's naval supremacy, illustrating his strategic assessments with a flood of examples. After some while in the doldrums, Mahan's reputation as a naval historian and strategist is once again on the rise. A handsome copy. Albion, p.211; Hattendorf, A2b; NMM V/1 514 (Book ref. 18597 )  £ 280.00

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Contact: Simon Westall
Address: Shutes Farm,
Northleigh,
Devon,
EX24 6BL
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Specialities: British topography, local history and genealogy; bibliography; palaeography; naval & military; siegfried sassoon; modern first editions; natural history; thomas hardy; illustrated and private press; english church architecture; h v morton; WWI literature
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