Author: Edward Gibbon
Title: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Publisher: AMS Press, New York
Year: 1974
ISBN: N/A
Format: Seven-volume hardcover set
Condition: Fine
Weight: Approximately 870–940 g per volume
Dimensions: Approximately 15 × 22 × 4.5–5 cm per volume
This timeless masterpiece from Gibbon is impressive not only for its thoroughly captivating description of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire; it is also an education in verse — the language and organization of the text is outstanding. It is little wonder that his magnum opus still lines the bookshelves of all serious libraries.
First published between 1776 and 1789, the work established Gibbon as one of the foremost historians of the eighteenth century and remains a landmark in the study of the Western Roman Empire, Byzantium, and the wider history of the ancient and medieval world.
This highly sought after, fine, seven-volume AMS Press edition is based on the authoritative 1909 edition edited by the distinguished classical historian J. B. Bury, whose introduction, notes, and appendices provide important scholarly context. This first Edition AMS Press publication, published in 1974; is a very well made edition. It is an 'unabridged' set and preserves Gibbon's complete text and footnotes. The text is large and clear. Quarter-bound in leather with three-quarter cloth covers and sewn pages, it is a substantial and carefully produced edition that combines the intellectual importance of Gibbon's work with the durability of a well-made library set. Volumes are solid with no marks, tears or damage. It’s a testament to the quality of this set that it looks brand new some 50 plus years after its production.
