The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Edward Gibbon , 3 Volume Set)

Edward Gibbon (Author), David P. Womersley (Editor)

ISBN 10: 0713991240 / ISBN 13: 9780713991246

Published by Allen Lane Penguin Press, 1994

About this Item

Hardcover 3 Volume set in new dust jackets. Black cloth to boards with silver lettering to spine. 4to. (? 6.5 x 6 x 10.25 inches) Clean text free of marks or underlining. Includes appendices [8], list of abbreviations, selected further readings, bibliographical index and a general index. 3360 pp. Fast shipping in a secure book box mailer with tracking. Edward Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is the most celebrated historical work in the English language. First published in three instalments between 1776 and 1788, it covers a period of thirteen centuries. The first installment traces the Empire from the Age of the Antonines to the growth and establishment of Christianity and the persecution its followers received in the reigns preceding Constantine; the second begins with the reign of Julian the Apostate and continues up to the conquest of the Roman territories in the West by the Goths, Huns and Vandals; the last installment follows the Empire from Justinian to the taking of Constantinople by the Turks. Throughout its length, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is never routine, always alert with humanity and intelligence and often surprising in its sympathies. Gibbon's genius as a prose stylist, his breadth of knowledge, his wit and energy combine to make the Decline and Fall one of the greatest narratives in European literature. This new edition provides the reader with the most accurate text of the Decline and Fall, complete and unmodernized, and illuminates it with an unrivalled wealth of related material. David Womersley's Introduction describes the development of the Decline and Fall as it moved from instalment to instalment and locates it in relation both to the events of Gibbon's life and to the Enlightenment culture within which it was written. The most substantial variants, and the comments and notes Gibbon made in his own copies of the work, are given in appendices. Also reprinted as an appendix is the famous Vindication (1779), in which Gibbon replied to the attacks on his treatment of Christianity. For the first time since Gibbon's death, two hundred years ago, a critical edition has been established. This third volume reprints the fifth and sixth volumes of Gibbon's work. The former is particularly concerned with the encounters between the dwindling and enfeebled Byzantine Empire and the vigorous new religion of Islam. The latter - perhaps the most varied and colourful of all - includes the Crusades, the fall of Constantinople to the Turks and an overview of the medieval papacy. Seller Inventory # 202367

Bibliographic Details

Title: The History of the Decline and Fall of the ...

Publisher: Allen Lane Penguin Press

Publication Date: 1994

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: New

Dust Jacket Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis:

This edition of Gibbon's classic history returns to manuscript and original sources.