Histoire philosophique et politique des etablissemens et du commerce des Europeens dans les deux Indes. (4 volumes plus atlas)

Description

4to. Hardcover. Contemporary full marbled leather, red and green spine labels, gilt spine decorations, marbled edges. 26.5x21x20.5 cm. Jean-Leonard Pellet. Geneve. 1780. xvi, 742; viii, 486; xv, 630; viii, 771: 24 pages. plus maps. Engraved frontispieces. 50 engraved maps. Very good, minor marginal worming to volume 3, atlas volume spine end and corners worn, front joint beginning to split, and very light marginal foxing. French text. This is the uncommon quarto Geneva edition of Raynal’s history of exploration and commerce between Europe and the Far East, Africa, and the Americas. The atlas contains all 50 uncolored maps numbered 1-49 with no. 17 bis. but lacks the folding tables present in some editions. This edition has the planisphere attributed to Mercator and the maps without the attribution to Bonne. The atlas is in a non-uniform marbled leather binding. This work promotes a anticlericalism, anti-colonialism, and anti-slavery viewpoints, which resulted in the 1770 edition being banned by the church, and prohibited from distribution in France. This edition doubles down on the ‘tirades’ and a 1781 French decree ordered the book to be burned by the executioner, and Raynal was exiled from France. This will make a wonderful addition to any ‘Banned Books’ collection or collection of historical atlases. Heavy set, may require extra shipping. weight: 15.8 lb.