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]. Publisher’s full tan calf, raised bands with gilt-ruled lines, title in gilt over black morocco labels. Notable wear to spine of Volume II, rubbing to black morocco label. Archival reinforcement to rear hinge of Volume I, both volumes with solid text blocks. Marbled endpapers. Largely free of the usual foxing or toning, plates in near fine condition. Complete with frontispiece in each volume, 17 full-page illustrations, and all 18 maps as stated.
(Eicher 154) (Howes D120) (Nevins II: 51)
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.
