A very beautiful set. 1930 third but still RARE edition of Sykes's "A History of Persia published by Macmillan. Original blue publisher's cloth with gilt decorative centerpiece of Cyrus the great on the first volume and of Shah Abbas on the second volume, on its upper boards. Blind tooled rulings on margins. Flat spine with gilt title. , A History of Persia is a comprehensive anthology of the land of Persia, its peoples and empires, from prehistory to the Constitutional Revolution of 1905-1907. Tracing its many turns in history, Sykes provides a window of insight into this ancient civilization. Sir Percy Molesworth Sykes (1867-1945) was a soldier, diplomat, scholar and historian. He travelled throughout Persia over a 25 year period, and wrote historical, geographical and biographical works describing his journeys. Book in very good condition, externally bright gilt, some shelfwear, light wear head and tail of spine, light wear around edges and corners, inside clean and complete, maps in very good condition for age-map in vol 1 with a light loss on corner not affecting image. Ex library book with only signs: a sticker and remnants of stickers on rear pastedown,NO other signs. Rarity.