Franckfurth, Förster, 1721.
4to. In contemporary full calf with five raised bands and gilt lettering and ornamentation to spine. Small paper-label pasted on to top of spine. Wear to extremities, boards with some scratches and part of gilting to spine worn off. Ex-libris pasted on to pasted down front end-paper. Inner hindges split. A few leaves with dampstain to upper margin, and a few occassional brownspots throughout. The map of Russia missing lower half. (14), 490, (6) pp. + frontipiece and 7 engraved plates (complete)
The uncommon first edition of Weber’s important and influential account of the changes and innovations in Russian politics, army, church, finances, sciences, industry, etc., initiated by Peter the Great – arguably one of the most important accounts of the period during and immediately after Peter the Great's reign.
The present work eventually appeared in three volumes in 1721 (The present), 1739 and 1740, however, when this first volume was published in 1721 it was intended to a single-volume work and it is a separate work in itself – 18 years was to pass until a second volumes was published.
Order-nr.: 61287