A Tale of a Tub. Written for the Universal Improvement of Mankind. To which is added, An Account of a Battel [Battle] between the Ancient and Modern Books in St. James's Library. The Fifth Edition: With the Author's Apology and Explanatory Notes. Plus A Discourse Concerning the Mechanical Operation of the Spirit.

1710 fifth edition, but the first to contain the Author s Apology and Explanatory Notes. The author is Jonathan Swift, although his name is not printed in this edition. Comrises three works: A Tale of a Tub; The Battle of the Books; A Discourse Concerning the Mechanical Operation of the Spirit in a letter to a friend. A Fragment. Full contemporary leather, 5 raised bands, blind stamped decoration to boards. With 7 plates. Condition: Good. Title label to spine missing. Fraying to spine ends. Small tear to head of spine and top back corner. Rubbing to leather. Staining to margins of some pages. 2 small burn holes to p 13; one similar to p117. p197 erroneously printed 297; p233 printed 133. The plate at the frontis. of Battel of the Books is detached but present. Size: 8x5in / 20x13cm. 344pp. Weight: 445g.