The Life of Daniel Defoe, Thomas Wright — 1st Edition

£70.00

The Life of Daniel Defoe, Thomas Wright — 1st Edition

Name: The Life of Daniel Defoe, Thomas Wright — 1st Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 4979
Price: 70.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: London, Cassell and Company, Limited, 1894

Formatting: 8vo, pp. xxiv, 432.

Condition Report: Very Good. Bound in half calf over marbled boards, the volume remains structurally sound with tight hinges and a firm text block. The leather exhibits expected rubbing to the extremities, most notably at the corners and along the joints, accompanied by mild fading to the spine, though the gilt tooling and maroon morocco title label remain bright and highly legible. The marbled boards show minor surface scuffing but no significant loss. Internally, the book is well-preserved; there is scattered foxing primarily confined to the preliminary leaves, the frontispiece tissue guard, and the pastedowns, leaving the main body of text clean and bright.

Catalogue Note: This is a first edition of Thomas Wright's exhaustive biography of the celebrated English novelist and pamphleteer, Daniel Defoe, issued by Cassell and Company in 1894. The volume features an engraved frontispiece and is dedicated to the contemporary biographer George A. Aitken.

The copy boasts a notable provenance, bearing the armorial bookplate of Sir Benjamin Sands Johnson (1865–1937) on the front pastedown, featuring the heraldic motto Juvat me Servire. Sir Benjamin was a prominent civic figure who served as the High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1923 and held the position of Director-General of the Royal Army Clothing Department during the First World War. While standard cloth-bound iterations of this first edition occasionally surface on the open market, contemporary half-calf bindings with documented provenance are significantly scarcer.

An engaging and exhaustive late-Victorian biography of Daniel Defoe, the brilliant yet controversial mind behind Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders. Thomas Wright seeks to pull back the curtain on Defoe's tumultuous life, stepping beyond his legacy as a mere pamphleteer to reveal the fiercely ambitious, deeply flawed, and fascinating man underneath. Drawing on extensive contemporary sources, this work explores his time in Newgate Prison, his complex political machinations, and the real-life inspirations behind his most enduring literary masterpieces.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: Thomas Wright

Book Publisher: Cassell and Company, Limited

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Non-Fiction

Genre: Autobiography, Biography & Memoirs

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 432

Book Publication Year: 1894

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Half Calf

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: N/A

Country/region of manufacture: London, United Kingdom

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.