A Tour Around the World by General Grant, Being a Narrative of the Incidents and Events of His Journey by James D. McCabe, First Edition, Illustrated, 1879

McCabe, James D. A Tour Around the World by General Grant, Being A Narrative of the Incidents and Events of His Journey Through Great Britain, Ireland, Belgium, The German Empire, Switzerland, France, Egypt, The Holy Land, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Austria, Spain, Portugal, India, Siam, China, Japan, Etc. Philadelphia: The National Publishing Co., 1879. First Edition. Thick octavo. In original green cloth boards, pictorially stamped in black and gold on the front and spine, stamped in black on the back. Rebacked, saving original cloth. Profusely illustrated throughout. With a new archival green cloth slipcase. 

Presented is a first edition of James D. McCabe Jr.’s A Tour Around the World by General Grant, Being a Narrative of the Incidents and Events of His Journey. This richly illustrated account of Ulysses S. Grant’s world tour of 1877 to 1879 was published by The National Publishing Co., in Philadelphia in 1879. Compiled from contemporary news reports, correspondences, and “the most authentic sources,” the volume provides an extensive record of the former president’s unprecedented journey through Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It is extensively illustrated, with a frontispiece portrait of Grant and nearly 200 wood engravings depicting notable encounters, foreign dignitaries, architecture, and cultural scenes, including more than 70 full-page illustrations. The volume retains its original green pictorial cloth binding, elaborately stamped in gilt and black on the front cover and spine with a globe, pyramids, a pagoda, and tropical foliage, with a similar design repeated in black on the rear board.

Following the conclusion of his presidency in March 1877, Ulysses S. Grant embarked upon a journey that would establish him as one of the most internationally recognized Americans of his era. Accompanied by his wife, Julia, and a small party of family and friends, Grant left the United States in May 1877 for a tour that lasted more than two and half years. His travels included stops in Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia, Egypt, the Holy Land, Constantinople, and numerous other European and Asian destinations, bringing him into contact with an impressive number of political leaders and cultural institutions. He dined with Queen Victoria, met Russian Emperor Alexander II and German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, and was received by Pope Leo XIII, among other prominent figures. His meeting with Emperor Meiji in Japan was especially significant, as the emperor departed from established protocol to shake Grant’s hand, an extraordinary gesture toward a foreign visitor. 

With the encouragement of President Hayes, Grant undertook an informal diplomatic role during his travels, helping advance American interests in regions where the United States previously had limited diplomatic relationships. His reception abroad, often marked by elaborate ceremonies and enthusiastic parades, demonstrated the growing international stature of the United States in the decades following the Civil War. When he returned in 1879, Grant received widespread public acclaim for his travels. McCabe’s account, issued by subscription that same year, also helped promote Grant’s travels as an important moment in American diplomatic history.

James Dabney McCabe Jr. (1842–1883) was a prolific American author whose work encompassed history, biography, travel writing, poetry, and drama. Born in Richmond, Virginia, on July 30, 1842, he was the son of the Reverend James Dabney McCabe, a Methodist clergyman. Writing under his own name and occasionally using the pseudonym Edward Winslow Martin, McCabe produced numerous works on American political and military history, including biographies of Robert E. Lee, Horatio Seymour, and President James A. Garfield. His publications also explored urban life and travel, as in Paris by Sunlight and Gaslight and New York by Sunlight and Gaslight, alongside broader historical studies such as The Centennial History of the United States and accounts of the railroad riots of the late 1870s. 

CONDITION: 

Very good+ condition. First Edition. Thick octavo. In original green cloth boards, pictorially stamped in black and gold on the front and spine, stamped in black on the back. Rebacked, saving original cloth. Gilt is bright on front, lightly faded on spine, green cloth is not faded. Scratches to boards. Bumping to corners. Original decorative endpapers saved. Pages are very clean, with only light toning. Profusely illustrated throughout, with over 200 wood engravings, many full-page. Six pages of publisher’s advertisements at the rear. With a new archival green cloth slipcase.

Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.