STEDMAN, Charles.
The History of the Origin, Progress, and Termination of the American War.
London: Printed For The Author; and Sold by J. Murray; J. Debrett; and J. Kerby, 1794.
$14,000.00
In Stock
Item Number: RRB-152465
+$500
First Edition of Charles Stedman's History of the American War; the Finest Contemporary British Account of the Revolution
Rare first edition of the finest contemporary history of the American Revolution written from the British side. Quarto, two volumes bound in polished brown calf over marbled boards with gilt titles and fived raised bands to the spines, edges speckled blue, half-titles present illustrated with fifteen engraved maps and battle plans, most folding. In near fine condition with occasional marginal spotting, the maps with neat repairs largely at the folds and intersections and a few lightly toned. Sabin 91057; Howes S914; Reese, Revolutionary Hundred 89. A handsome example of this landmark work with excellent maps.
The History of the Origin, Progress, and Termination of the American War, published in London in 1794, is generally considered, in the words of Sabin, the best contemporary account of the Revolution written from the British side. Its author, Charles Stedman (1753-1812), was a Philadelphia-born loyalist who served as a British officer throughout the war, under Lord Percy at Lexington and Concord, under General Howe in the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania campaigns, and with Lord Cornwallis in the southern theater, so that much of his narrative rests on firsthand observation of the events he describes. The work is further distinguished by its fifteen engraved maps and battle plans, whose production Stedman himself oversaw and which have been praised as the finest collection of plans assembled by an eyewitness to the conflict, making the book a cornerstone of any collection on the American Revolution.
The History of the Origin, Progress, and Termination of the American War.
$14,000.00
In Stock