AN EPITOME, HISTORICAL AND STATISTICAL, DESCRIPTIVE OF THE ROYAL NAVAL SERVICE OF ENGLAND.

MILES, E. with the assistance of Lieutenant Lawford Miles, RN.

Published by Ackermann and Company London, 1841

About this Item

8vo, 245x160mm. First edition. "Embellished with eight highly-finished, coloured, engraved Views of Shipping, by W. Knell, besides fourteen coloured illustrations of the Flags, Pendants, and Ensigns, as worn by Her Majesty's Ships and Vessels in Commission." pp(2)/XII(2)184 including single blank preliminary leaf; with 8 fine colour plates (though not positioned according to list) accompanied by leaves on which a few lines of verse, and in-text colour illustrations of flags etc on pages 172-176. Original quarter red-coated leather with green cloth-covered boards. Smooth spine titled and decorated in gilt. Front board with abbreviated 'blind' title against gilt vignette of ship stern, both front and rear with blindstamped floral decorations towards corners within blindstamped ruled borders. Original creamy-yellow endpapers. Spine worn and shabby-looking; being quite heavily rubbed, with loss of segment close to foot across entire width along up to 25mm of hinges, with loss along 50mm adjacent to rear hinge close to head resulting in loss of 'S' from title 'The Royal Naval Service', and with a few closed & near-closed tears - one of which above title across almost entire width. Intact sections of rear hinge rubbed, those of front hinge lightly rubbed. Rear board with dark spot-stain of diameter up to 7mm close to fore-edge, and indentation of diameter up to 6mm close to upper edge, within which cloth crumpled. Board surfaces otherwise slightly rubbed, and here & there lightly marked and/or a little faded. Wear with loss of covering along board edges close to spine and around variably inwards-curled outer corners; board edges elsewheres with loss of covering at a few little spots otherwise lightly rubbed, with two very light bumps at fore-edge of front board and single shallow bump at upper edge of rear. Endpapers at both front and rear split along hinges; front pastedown with two closely-spaced little inkspots. Contents up to page 32 a little proud of text-block. One leaf - pages 73/74 - with pale meniscus-shaped stain of width up to 10mm along 18mm of fore-edge, well away from print. Neat owner's name of some age on preliminary leaf. Contents otherwise faintly toned, occasionally faintly and quite sparsely spotted, and with a few minor handling marks. Edges of text-block age-toned. Binding holding firmly, though spine worn and wanting in appearance; contents generally clean and tight, with all colour plates and illustrations called for in excellent condition. GOOD copy.

Seller Inventory # 27203

Bibliographic Details

• Title: AN EPITOME, HISTORICAL AND STATISTICAL, DESCRIPTIVE OF THE ROYAL NAVAL SERVICE OF ENGLAND.
• Publisher: Ackermann and Company London
• Publication Date: 1841
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition