Description
First edition of The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government by Jefferson Davis, published in 1881.
Octavo, [two volumes], xxi, [3], 707pp, [4pp ads]; xvii, [3], 808pp, [4pp ads]. Original publisher’s full sheepskin boards, rebacked in modern leather with original black morocco spine labels, raised bands with gilt-ruled lines. All marbled edges. Marbled endpapers, reinforced hinges, solid text blocks. Complete with frontispiece in each volume, 17 full-page illustrations, and all 18 maps as stated. Foxing to plates, occasional toning to text. Rubbing to boards, shelf wear. (Eicher 154) (Howes D120) (Nevins II: 51) A handsome example.
Written by Jefferson Davis (1808-1889), the former President of the Confederate States, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government is considered the magnum opus of the Southern cause. It remains a controversial historical piece, with its attempt to justify the Southern cause for secession. Davis followed it with A Short History of the Confederate States of America, completed shortly before his death in 1889.
