William H. Prescott - History of the Conquest of Mexico - Baudry's European Library, Paris - 1844

William H. Prescott, Collection of Ancient and Modern British Authors. Vol. CCCXCV. History of the Conquest of Mexico, with a preliminary view of the ancient Mexican civilization, and the life of the conqueror, Hernando Cortés, Baudry's European Library, Paris, 1844, 3 volumes, XXIV-308 pp., XIV-306 pp., XVI-336 pp., 2 folding maps.

In-8°, half-burgundy leather binding with corner protectors, spine with four raised bands decorated with gold lines, gilt panels, title and volume number, double gold lines on the covers, corners outlined with double gold lines.

Some surface wear and usage marks, particularly on the covers. The interior is well preserved despite foxing, which does not hinder reading or understanding the text.

A very fine set from a reference work. Complete edition of the text in the 'Collection of Ancient and Modern British Authors. Vol. CCCXCV'. This is the first edition in English, published in France.

A major work of 19th-century historiography and dramatic narration. Published in ten languages and reprinted at least two hundred times since its first publication in 1843, it offers a captivating view of the clash of civilizations that still resonates today in Latin America. According to Prescott's biographer, Harry Thurston Peck, The Conquest of Mexico is 'one of the most brilliant examples that the English language possesses of literary art applied to historical narration.'

William Hickling Prescott (1796 - 1859), an American Protestant historian and Hispanist. Corresponding member of the French Institute, of the Royal Academy of Berlin, Naples, and Madrid's History Academy. His work had a significant influence on the study of Spain and Mesoamerica. He was known for his exhaustive, rigorous, and systematic approach, as well as his dynamic writing style. In this work, Prescott extensively relied on primary sources to describe Aztec civilization, after rejecting most secondary sources deemed too biased. He also refuted the widespread idea that pre-Columbian civilizations were not indigenous. Prescott believed instead that the indigenous peoples of Mexico had reached the zenith of Aztec civilization without outside European influence.

Dimensions (cm): 22 x 14 x 2.5
Weight (in kg): 1.616