THE COMPLETE ANGLER or the Contemplative Man's Recreation. Edited by John Major

The Little, Brown edition, reprinting the John Major edition of 1844, an important American issue of the classic text. With a vignette title-page, twelve handsome steel-engraved plates including portraits of both Walton and Cotton, and seventy-four woodcut illustrations throughout the text. 8vo, in a very attractive period binding of three-quarter blue-green morocco over cloth covered boards, the backstrip and corner-pieces gilt trimmed, the spine with gilt tooled raised bands between compartments decorated with floral boarders in gilt around gilt tooled fish at the centers, two compartments gilt lettered, gilt numerals at the tail. xiv, 445pp. A very good and handsome copy, the interior is very clean and fresh with only a touch of very occasional minor mottling or a few spots, the binding solid and strong, a little cosmetic evidence of use along the outside joints and tips, the spine lightly mellowed as is typical with the green morocco, the gilt very bright and fresh.

Edizione: a very handsome production. for their edition of this great classic little, brown and company wisely chose the text and illustrations from john major's edition of 1844, but with the plates now re-cut in steel instead of copper.<br> walton's angler has been described as "full of wisdom, kindly humour, and charity; it is one of the most delightful and care-dispelling books in the language." "more than most authors he lives in his writings, which are the pure expression of a kind, humorous and pious soul in love with nature, while the expression itself is unique for apparent simplicity which is really elaborately studied art" (dnb).