The Great Republic by the Master Historians, Edited by Charles Morris, Illustrated, Four Volume Set, 1902

Morris, Charles (editor). The Great Republic by the Master Historians. New York, Pittsburgh, Chicago: The R. S. Belcher Co., 1902. Rebound in 3/4 brown leather and marbled boards, with raised bands, gilt tooling and ruling, and gilt titles to spine. Top edge gilt. Profusely illustrated. 

This extensive, four volume work provides an overview of American history, tracing the nation's development from the earliest days of discovery and settlement to the transformative events surrounding the Spanish-American War and the expansion of the United States into the "Great Republic." Edited by Charles Morris, each of the four volumes features articles by eminent and prominent historians in that field. The articles are also profusely illustrated with engravings. 

The articles are chronological in order, and divided into historical periods by volume. A running series of short narratives treat and quickly identify the intermediate events that happened between each new article. The book aims to highlight the growth and achievements of the nation, as well as the significant figures and movements that shaped its history. 

As explained in the Preface, “The aim of the compilers of this work has been to put the reader in possession of carefully chosen extracts from a wide field of authors. The selections are taken from works, small as well as large, unfamiliar and familiar, because many of the most admirable examples of historical, as of other, writings are hidden in books known mainly by those devoted to research. Not a few of the specimen extracts are rescued from antique tomes, externally uninviting to the passer-by. Some of these works are noted for brilliancy of style, others for conscientiousness in research, others as being written by participants in the events described, while to still others quaintness of manner or antiquity of dates gives a certain value.” 

The author list spans from historians, generals and politicians, to great writers of their day, including Washington Irving, Francis Parkman, Jaren Sparks, George Bancroft, Henry Cabot Lodge, Benson J. Lossing, Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, James Fenimore Cooper, Theodore Roosevelt, George Fairbanks, Horace Greenley, J.T. Headley, Willam Sherman, and many more. 

Editor Charles Morris (1833 -1922) was a prolific American writer of the late 19th century. After a brief career as professor of languages at the Academy of Ancient and Modern Languages, Morris published short stories, poems, and serial novels in Beadle's Saturday Journal.  He wrote several textbooks, including The War with Spain, histories of the United States, a general History of the World, The Story of Mexico, Civilization: a Study of its Elements, and the Dictionary of Universal Biography. He also wrote a series called Historical Tales, a collection of entertaining and romantic stories from history, in fourteen volumes.

CONDITION:

4 volumes. Rebound in 3/4  brown leather and marbled boards, with raised bands, gilt tooling and ruling, gilt titles to spine. Top edge gilt. Marbled endpaper, light wear and scattered standing to leather boards but overall a very attractive set. Each volume is profusely illustrated. Vol II with splitting to textblock in front. Vol I, III and Vol IV structurally sound. Volume IV with “General Index,” followed by “Index of Authors,” then “Index of Writers, Authorities, Etc.”

Dimensions: ~ 8 3/8" H x 6" W x 1 5/8" D (each volume).

Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.