Frères Vaillant

Rare French first edition, translation by Butel-Dumont.

Full brown sheep binding, smooth spine decorated with gilt and tooled compartments, modern red morocco lettering-piece, restored tear and wear to the spine, one joint split at foot, marbled endpapers, gilt fillets to board edges, rubbed corners, contemporary binding.

The Acadia map is missing from our copy. It is extremely rare and is only found in a few copies. Sabin 35958. Leclerc 732.

Bookplate of the Marquis de Bassano pasted on a pastedown.

New edition of the French translation established by Favre, revised by Gorgeons and other authors.
Although other editions were given in the 16th and 17th centuries, this one constitutes not only the finest edition of this text, but also the best translation.
Contemporary full speckled glazed calf bindings, spine with raised bands decorated with 4 fleurons in compartments, red morocco title labels, head headcaps cut down, tail headcap of volume II worn, wormholes and worming to upper board of volume 1, a strip of skin torn from the upper board of volume III, over 3 cm, corners bumped.
On the three title pages, two rectangles of paper have been pasted over formerly on either side, under the title, thus concealing a former owner.
This History of the Italian Wars begins in 1490 and ends in 1534; Guicciardini worked on it for 27 years, and his work, in the opinion of critics of his time is precious and of great merit; even if he was reproached for his violence, his impartiality was greatly praised; this work did much for the modernization of methods in history. Ambassador, writer and politician of Florence, friend of Machiavelli, Guicciardini is part of the pantheon of great men of Florence.