THE SKETCH BOOK OF GEOFFREY CRAYON, GENT. The Author's Revised Edition.

First Edition Thus. Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece and decorations to the text. 8vo, handsomely bound in three-quarter tan calf, the spine with raised bands gilt stopped, the compartments diced in blind, green morocco lettering label gilt. 465 pp. A very handsome, fresh, fine and clean copy with little evidence of age or use.

Edizione: a fine copy and scarce in this condition. irving’s most successful work. influenced by sir walter scott, irving wrote this series of essays and stories primarily about the english countryside. however some were included with american settings, such as irving’s most famous and beloved stories, rip van winkle and the legend of sleepy hollow. these were americanized versions of obscure german folk tales relocated to irving’s familiar and beloved new york countryside. irving wrote in the guise of an english gentleman as few american authors were given any real credence in europe at the time. his genteel humor and graceful style brought the sketch book had quick success in both america and europe, thus marking it as among the earliest american works to establish a truly literary fame.