The head of the spine is split for 6cm along the front board, but remains attached; it is lightly chipped, also at the head as are the boards' edges; with increasing severity.the edge of the preliminaries are insect damaged towards the head, at its worst for about 4cm.; the head of the title page is foxed, as is the head of the Preface, which also suffers from minor loss at the head. Overall clean, umarked, and solid and despite its faults an attractive copy. Red leather with gilt decoration along its edges; decorated gilt spine with raised bands, marbled end papers. 387 pages. "[William Hamilton Maxwell;] b. Newry, Co. Down; ed. TCD, BA, 1812; ord. 1813; Anglican clergyman in Connaught; vicar of Balla, Co. Mayo, 1820; contrib. Bentley's Magazine and Dublin University Magazine; originated the military novel and provided the model for 'rollicking' Anglo-Irish fiction as practised by Lever in Stories of Waterloo (1829) and Wild Sports of the West (1832); his claim to have been at Waterloo or, indeed, in the army, is unfounded; constantly embarrassed by financial troubles, he saw the fad for his books decline severely; Maxwell wrote a three-volume biography of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington (1834-41) and other historical studies, including an account of 1798 in The Irish Rebellion (1845), which was illustrated by George Cruikshank, also issued likewise cautionary study of The Irish Movements (1848), addressing current dissensions from a Tory standpoint; d. 29 Dec., in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh; an obituary appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine (June 1851) " (ricorso)