The Complete Angler, Izaak Walton and Charles Cotton

Publication: London, Samuel Bagster, 1815

Formatting: 8vo, pp. 514, [20].

Condition Report: Very Good. The handsome late nineteenth or early twentieth-century custom half-leather binding by Bayntun of Bath remains remarkably sturdy and sound. The green leather of the spine has uniformly sunned to a warm, even brown, a highly typical and entirely natural occurrence for green leathers of this period, while the cloth boards and leather corners maintain their rich, original green hue. The raised bands are pronounced, and the gilt tooling and lettering remain unoxidised and bright, with only minor rubbing to the spine extremities and joints. Internally, the hinges are perfectly tight. The text block is square and secure, with the pages presenting cleanly, showing only very occasional, faint age-toning to the margins and a well-preserved, undisturbed fore-edge. An excellent, tactile copy that has been carefully kept.

Catalogue Note: This is the highly regarded 1815 "Bagster's Second Edition" of Walton and Cotton's landmark work, originally published in 1653. Functioning as the eighth overall edition to feature the vital historical, supplementary, and explanatory notes by Sir John Hawkins, this volume was expertly printed by R. Watts at Broxbourne on the River Lea, a fittingly historic location for this foundational angling text.

The volume is profusely illustrated, featuring an engraved frontispiece portrait of Izaak Walton, a striking vignette half-title depicting a cartouche of dolphins and fish, alongside numerous internal engraved plates and in-text illustrations that capture the essence of the contemplative man's recreation.

Of particular note is the book’s elegant provenance and presentation; it has been rebound in a custom half-leather binding executed by the esteemed firm of Bayntun of Bath, one of England's premier bindery houses, complete with their discreet binder's stamp to the front paste-down.

While standard copies of Bagster's 1815 edition appear with some frequency on the open market, copies preserved in fine, signed bindings by prominent English craftsmen like Bayntun remain scarce and highly sought-after by collectors. 

A beloved cornerstone of English literature and the quintessential guide for the contemplative sportsman, The Complete Angler transcends its practical subject matter. Through engaging dialogues, poetic interludes, and profound philosophical musings, Walton and Cotton invite the reader into a tranquil pastoral world, celebrating the fellowship, patience, and profound connection to the natural environment that angling provides. It remains one of the most reprinted and cherished books in the English language.