Democracy in America (the Rare 2nd Edition in Four Volumes) by Tocqueville, Alexis De and Henry Reeve

London; 1836-1840: Saunders & Otley. Octavo. When the first edition came out in 1835, Tocqueville was himself a friend of the translator, Henry Reeve, who said: "Without saying to do so...you have colored what was contrary to Democracy and almost erased what could do harm to Aristocracy." The Second Edition corrected these errors and is considered the best early edition. The importance of this edition is that Reeve corrected many of the errors in the first edition that irritated Tocqueville. Consequently, it is important not only for collectors but for serious students of the most important work on American political theory after the Federalist Papers. Reeve's corrected translation in the second edition has become part of the "Reeve-Bowen-Bradly and Lawrence versions". John Stuart Mill reviewed the first edition and immediately saw it as a major contribution to political thought. It was the second part (volumes III and IV) where Tocqueville moved from generalizations to preciseness which required a very disciplined reading. The initial reviews were less than enthusiastic but as more readers discovered its importance, they agreed with Blackwood's Edinburgh Review hailed him as the "greatest political philosopher of his day." (Laski, I, xxxvii). It was also the remarkable sociological insights of Tocqueville that further changed the debate on politics and social aspects of American life (Laski, I, c). In four volumes, Vol I: 333pp., (2) pp. publisher's ads, large folding map colored in outline with early tape mend to a small, closed tear near the gutter and one split to one of the folds, and some marginal foxing to pages near the center of the book, no other foxing. Vol. II: 462pp., 2(2) pp. publisher's ads. No foxing. Vol. III: 333pp., (2) pp., publisher's terms of subscriptions, faint foxing to upper margins of last few leaves. Vol. IV: 365pp., (2) pp. publisher's ads. Bound in ¾ contemporary calf over marbled paper covered boards, handsomely rebacked with original spines laid down, double black Morocco spine labels gilt, raised bands gilt, other compartments stamped in blind. An exceptionally nice set.