Gerald P. Moriarty — Dean Swift and His Writings

London, Seeley & Co. Limited, 1893. First edition. Cloth. The first edition of a revisionist biography on the renowned Anglo-Irish author, which paints Swift in a calculating light compared to contemporary biographers. The first edition of Dean Swift and His Writings, a comprehensive biography on the Anglo-Irish author and cleric, written by Gerald P. Moriarty. Published by Seeley & Co. in 1893.In the publisher's decorative original blue cloth, with glit decoration to the front board. Contains a frontispiece of Swift by Charles Jervas, and all eight other portraits of Swift or significant figures in his life. Collated complete.Delving into Swift's political and clerical activities before exploring Gulliver's Travels, as well as his letters and poetry, this biography of Johnathan Swift sets up his life so that we can better understand his writing and the literary choices he made. Compared to biographers Taine and Thackeray, Swift is revisionist, painting the Dean of St. Patrick's not as a hero but as a rather calculating individual. In the publisher's decorative original blue cloth. Externally, smart, with the odd faint mark to the back board. Minor rubbing to joints, and slight bumping to the head and tail of the spine, and to the extremities. Marginal edgewear. End papers are generally bright and clean, with faint offsetting to free end papers and slight spotting, heavier to rear pastedown. Minor wear to end paper hinges. Previous owner's bookplate to front paste down and signature to top right corner of front free end paper. Internally, firmly bound, with slight wear to hinge between leavespp.96-97. Minor worming to bottom right edge of contents leaf. Pages are bright and clean, with previous owner's annotations to title leaf and the odd leaf, mostly to final leaves. Very Good . Ill.: Various. Very Good .