Paul's Letters to his Kinsfolk (Second Edition)

Sir Walter Scott’s anonymous account of the field of Waterloo and post-Napoleonic Paris, written in the guise of letters from a fictional traveller.

After news of the victory at Waterloo, Scott wanted to see the battlefield and newly conquered Paris. He had never travelled abroad before. In August 1815 he sailed for Belgium, intending to recoup his expenses by writing about the journey. The result, published on 25 January 1816 as Paul’s Letters to His Kinsfolk, is a series of letters supposedly written by a returning traveller to his family. It appeared anonymously, though reviewers recognised the author at once. Letters VII and VIII give a close account of the battle, drawn partly from the testimony of those who had fought in it, and Scott records his meeting with the Duke of Wellington, whose modesty impressed him. The remaining letters describe the devastated battlefield, the trade in relics, the art and architecture of Flanders, and the political parties of restored France. The book was well received by reviewers and went through three editions in quick succession.

Second edition. Octavo, [ii], 468pp. Rebound in half red morocco and red cloth boards, spine with five raised bands and titling in gilt, margins double-ruled in gilt, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. The spine is shelf-faded, with some markings and fading to the cover boards. The contents are generally clean and bright, with some foxing. The first blank is loosening from the binding. A very good copy.

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Catalogue Number: HH000382