The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon

Author: Gibbon, Edward 
Editor: J.B. Bury 
Title: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 
Publisher: Methuen 
Date: 1896-1905 
Place: London 
Dimensions:  8vos. 21cm x 15cm 

[lxviii+464pp]+[xiv+570pp]+[xvi+546pp][xvi+508pp]xviii+543pp]+[xv+560pp]+[xii+508pp]
7 vols on laid paper. Complete. Maps and plans, some folding.

Fine full leather Law Society of England and Wales prize bindings by J. Low, gilt stamped top boards, gilt borders, gilt tooling and titles to spines, gilt inner dentelles, all edged gilt, marbled endpapers.

Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is the standard work on the subject. Gibbon was both a meticulous historian, who relied on and cited authoritative sources, and a gifted writer. The work is highly readable, with an ironic style and critical outlook. J.B. Bury's extensive editorship through careful and comprehensive annotation brings the work up to date with modern scholarship which still makes this one of the two edited editions of Gibbon referred to and relied on today.  

Volume 1 is a copy of the 1905 second edition, Vols 2 – 7  are 1st Bury editions (1896-1900). 

Vol 1 with a few spots of foxing to prelims, margins. Very Good.
Vol 2 binder's label to corner front paste-down, small scuff to fore-edge. Near Fine.
Vol 3 ditto binder's label, folding colour map of Europe .scuff to top edge. Near Fine.
Vol 4 a few small spots of foxing to prelims. Near Fine.
Vol 5 small, 1cm, corner fold tear to frontis map. Indentation of map along top margin through to pp5. Near Fine.
Vol 6 binder's label to corner front paste-down, scuff to top edge Near Fine.
Vol 7 minor foxing prelims, minor, scattered foxing to margins, Very Good.