The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, in the County of Southampton
- Publisher : B. White & Son
- Published In : London
- Illustrations : folding engraved frontis, 2 half-titles with engraved vignettes, 6 engraved plates (1 folding)
Description:
First edition. Gilbert White (1720-1793) is widely regarded as the father of ecology and the forerunner of all modern natural historians. The present work is one of the most popular books in the English language and it has never been out of print since it was first published in 1789. Numerous great English naturalists have been influenced by Gilbert White, chiefly among them Charles Darwin, who went on ‘a pilgrimage to Selborne’ in June 1857, and claimed that he ‘stood on the shoulders’ of White. Gilbert White was also admired by the great poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who called ‘The Natural History of Selborne’ a ‘sweet delightful book’.
[Martin, p. 103]
Condition
4to, cont. full calf, rebacked, raised bands, red leather title-piece, small chip to spine, corners restored. Some offseting, minor foxing, a few pages with pencil underlining. A very good copy.