The Admirable Crichton; (First Everyman's Library edition, EL #804)

An undated, probable first Everyman's Library edition, 1927, of William Harrison Ainsworth's romance, based on the extraordinary life of Scottish polymath James Crichton (1560-1582). The story, per the introduction by EL editor Ernest Rhys, ". . .[is a] novel which, in its way, is a masterpiece of splendid swashbuckling and derring-do." This story is based on Sir Thomas Urquhart's life of Crichton. An entry in Everyman's Library Fiction series. EL no. 804. --- In 'Shield Era' curved back binding style 2, full dark red ribbed cloth-covered boards with gilt-stamped Reginald Knowles-designed spine titling & decorations, blindstamped J. M. Dent vignette to front cover, with black topstain and fancy Knowles woodcut art at title page, frontis and endpapers. Volume lacks the dust jacket. --- With tears along spine edges, mild spine sunning and binding with some spine lean, otherwise a clean, unmarked, tightly-bound copy.; 16mo - 6 to 7 in. tall; xiv, 400 pages.