The Illustrated History of the War Against Russia

London, Nd(ca. 1857): James S. Virtue. Thick Quartos. 812pp. and 772pp., portrait frontispieces, vignette title page and regular title page. Vol. I: with 36 (includes frontispiece)engraved plates and 4 folding maps. Vol. II. with 30 engraved plates and 2 folding maps (includes frontispiece). The author shows us the successive plans of the Russian strategists, from the opening of the campaign until the raising of the siege of Silistraia; and he describes the comprehensive arrangements by which all these plans were baulked, and the prestige of the Russian army damaged, if not destroyed. He shows the courage of the French on the Alma. He offers letters illustrating the spirit and character of the French, Turkish and Egyptian armies. He also gives accounts of the wild Circassian and Georgian, Greek and Albanian. The illustrations make this history come alive. A very nice set, internally clean and free from foxing, bound in contemporary 3/4 red morocco over marbled paper covered boards, raised bands ruled and lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt, some staining to covers b, short split to upper joint near foot of volume one. From the library of H.C. Lewis. An ex-library copy without stamps but with pocket on rear pastedown.