Marshall, John

The Life of George Washington, Commander in Chief of the American Forces, During the War Which Established the Independence of His Country, and First President of the United States. [Volumes 2, 3, & 5 Only]

Philadelphia: C. P. Wayne, 1805-7. First Edition. Three octavos, vii, 516, 67p.; vii, 527, 38p.; vii, 779, 36 pages, bound in contemporary full tree calf, with gilt bands and gilt-lettered spine labels. John Marshall’s Life of George Washington is one of the earliest major biographies of Washington, written by the Chief Justice of the United States and issued here in the first edition Philadelphia printing. This partial set comprises volumes II, III, and V only, published by C. P. Wayne in 1805, 1805, and 1807, and forms part of Marshall’s monumental early nineteenth-century account of George Washington, the American Revolution, the War for Independence, the founding of the United States, and the early Federal period. A cornerstone work of Americana, presidential biography, Revolutionary War history, and early American printing, Marshall’s biography is prized for its close historical connection to the events it describes and for its lasting importance in the literature of Washingtoniana, the Founding Fathers, United States history, and Philadelphia imprints. Desirable as an early and authoritative life of Washington, these volumes appeal to collectors of antiquarian books, early American history, military history, political history, and American first editions. Some slight rubbing and wear, signs of repair to hinges, chips to the tops of the spines, a few gatherings a little shaken, some scattered foxing and discoloration, previous owner's bookplates, some hinges cracking and tender, else in good + condition. Item #227

Price: $800.00