The Harvard Classics, Volume 27: English Essays from Sir Philip Sidney to Macaulay
Joseph Addison, Richard Steele, Jonathan Swift, Daniel Defoe, Samuel Johnson, and others; Edited by Charles W. Eliot
📚 Genre
Literary Criticism/Essays - Anthology
🏢 Publisher
Easton Press (under license from P.F. Collier & Son)
📅 Publication Year
c. 1990-2000s
🔢 ISBN
N/A
About This Book
This volume is part of the 'Five-Foot Shelf of Books' and contains a curated selection of seminal English essays. It features works by masters of the form including Addison, Steele, Swift, Defoe, and Johnson. The cover is a rich brown bonded or genuine cowhide leather with 22kt gold accents, silk moiré endpapers, and a satin ribbon marker.
Book Details
Language
English
Pages
Approx. 450-500 pages
Edition
Collector's Edition; Deluxe Faux-Leather Hardcover
Series
The Harvard Classics, Volume 27 of 51 (or 50 + Lectures volume)
Target Audience
Adult; Academic; Book Collectors
Collector Information
Condition
Very Good to Like New. The spine shows crisp gold leafing and no visible 'shelf wear' or rubbing. The binding appears tight and the spine is not bowed.
Estimated Value
$15.00 - $35.00
Rarity
Common. While these are high-quality editions, Easton Press printed them in large quantities. They are easily found on the secondary market as single volumes.
Historical Significance
The Harvard Classics, originally compiled in 1909, represent one of the most famous attempts to create a Western canon. This specific volume preserves the critical essay tradition that shaped modern English prose.
Collector Notes
Collectibility is highest when sold as a complete 51-volume set rather than individual volumes. For preservation, keep away from direct sunlight to prevent leather fading and maintain a stable humidity to prevent the gilding from flaking.
Similar Books
The Great Books of the Western World by Mortimer Adler; The Oxford Book of Essays by John Gross; The Complete Essays by Michel de Montaigne
Notable Features
22kt gold gilded edges and spine accents; hubbed spine; archival quality paper; collector's edition branding.