A General View of the History of Switzerland [1799 Swiss Revolution] [First Edition]
- Edinburgh: Printed for Peter Hill, 1799
Edinburgh: Printed for Peter Hill, 1799. Very Good/No Dust Jacket Issued.
A sophisticated contemporary account of the Helvetic Republic's birth, published in the immediate wake of the 1798 Swiss Revolution.
John Wood provides an essential primary-perspective narrative of Switzerland's transition from a loose confederacy of cantons to a centralized state under French revolutionary influence. By balancing a deep survey of ancient Swiss liberties with a meticulous 'particular account' of the late political upheaval, Wood captures the tension between traditional mountain independence and the encroaching enlightenment ideals of the Napoleonic era.
The definitive English-language record of the 1798 Swiss Revolution, published while the embers of the conflict were still warm. This 1799 first edition functions as both a rigorous national history and a vital piece of political journalism, documenting the collapse of the old Swiss order. Housed in its original period calf, it is a superior scholarly artifact for any collection focused on the global ripples of the French Revolution.
KEY FEATURES
+++ Visuals: Comprehensive errata leaf at rear; woodcut head and tail pieces.
+++ Binding: Period calf with gilt-ruled spine and a vibrant red morocco label lettered in gilt.
+++ Content: Detailed exploration of Swiss political evolution, the Formation of the Confederacy, and the 1798 Revolution.
+++ Associated Names: Previous owner's name in period cursive atop the title page; maintaining the tactile integrity of a late-Georgian gentleman's library.
+++ Bibliographic Certainty: Confirmed First Edition, cited in ESTC (N2611), ensuring its status as a foundational text for European revolutionary studies.
+++ Imprint: Edinburgh: Printed for Peter Hill, 1799. First Edition, First Printing.
+++ Specs: 8.25 inches tall; xv, [1], 415, [errata] pp.
CONDITION - Very Good. The Book: Period calf shows expected rubbing to the extremities. The joints were previously cracked and have been professionally reinforced with Japanese tissue, ensuring the textblock remains tight and square. Internally, the text is clean with light, uniform age-toning and no significant foxing. A sturdy, attractive example of 18th-century Edinburgh printing.
SCHOLARLY FEATURES
+++ Revolutionary Historiography: Wood's 'particular account' serves as a bridge between 18th-century political theory and the lived reality of the Napoleonic wars.
+++ National Identity: Analyzes how the 'Swiss Mythos'-built on the legends of William Tell and mountain ruggedness-confronted the modern centralized bureaucracy of the French-backed Helvetic Republic.
+++ Contextual Analysis: A vital primary document for researchers of 'The Great Change' in Europe, where ancient social structures were dismantled by the exported ideals of 1789.
+++ Comprehensive Scope: Moves beyond the revolution to trace the formation of the Swiss Confederacy and the Reformation, providing the necessary context for the 18th-century collapse.
+++ The Edinburgh Enlightenment: Printed for Peter Hill during the peak of Edinburgh's intellectual golden age, reflecting the Scottish obsession with republicanism and mountain liberty. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE -
John Wood's history arrived at a moment when all of Europe was watching Switzerland as a laboratory for republicanism. The Swiss Revolution of 1798 was not merely a local coup but a seismic shift in the European balance of power, turning a neutral buffer zone into a French satellite. Wood's narrative provides the 'Scholarly Shield' necessary to understand how the intricacies of Swiss cantonal governance were overwhelmed by the geopolitical ambitions of Revolutionary France.
SUBJECTS: Swiss History, 1798 Swiss Revolution, Napoleonic Wars, Helvetic Republic, Political Science, 18th Century Europe, History, Political Philosophy, First Edition.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: ESTC N2611.
A sophisticated contemporary account of the Helvetic Republic's birth, published in the immediate wake of the 1798 Swiss Revolution.
John Wood provides an essential primary-perspective narrative of Switzerland's transition from a loose confederacy of cantons to a centralized state under French revolutionary influence. By balancing a deep survey of ancient Swiss liberties with a meticulous 'particular account' of the late political upheaval, Wood captures the tension between traditional mountain independence and the encroaching enlightenment ideals of the Napoleonic era.
The definitive English-language record of the 1798 Swiss Revolution, published while the embers of the conflict were still warm. This 1799 first edition functions as both a rigorous national history and a vital piece of political journalism, documenting the collapse of the old Swiss order. Housed in its original period calf, it is a superior scholarly artifact for any collection focused on the global ripples of the French Revolution.
KEY FEATURES
+++ Visuals: Comprehensive errata leaf at rear; woodcut head and tail pieces.
+++ Binding: Period calf with gilt-ruled spine and a vibrant red morocco label lettered in gilt.
+++ Content: Detailed exploration of Swiss political evolution, the Formation of the Confederacy, and the 1798 Revolution.
+++ Associated Names: Previous owner's name in period cursive atop the title page; maintaining the tactile integrity of a late-Georgian gentleman's library.
+++ Bibliographic Certainty: Confirmed First Edition, cited in ESTC (N2611), ensuring its status as a foundational text for European revolutionary studies.
+++ Imprint: Edinburgh: Printed for Peter Hill, 1799. First Edition, First Printing.
+++ Specs: 8.25 inches tall; xv, [1], 415, [errata] pp.
CONDITION - Very Good. The Book: Period calf shows expected rubbing to the extremities. The joints were previously cracked and have been professionally reinforced with Japanese tissue, ensuring the textblock remains tight and square. Internally, the text is clean with light, uniform age-toning and no significant foxing. A sturdy, attractive example of 18th-century Edinburgh printing.
SCHOLARLY FEATURES
+++ Revolutionary Historiography: Wood's 'particular account' serves as a bridge between 18th-century political theory and the lived reality of the Napoleonic wars.
+++ National Identity: Analyzes how the 'Swiss Mythos'-built on the legends of William Tell and mountain ruggedness-confronted the modern centralized bureaucracy of the French-backed Helvetic Republic.
+++ Contextual Analysis: A vital primary document for researchers of 'The Great Change' in Europe, where ancient social structures were dismantled by the exported ideals of 1789.
+++ Comprehensive Scope: Moves beyond the revolution to trace the formation of the Swiss Confederacy and the Reformation, providing the necessary context for the 18th-century collapse.
+++ The Edinburgh Enlightenment: Printed for Peter Hill during the peak of Edinburgh's intellectual golden age, reflecting the Scottish obsession with republicanism and mountain liberty. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE -
John Wood's history arrived at a moment when all of Europe was watching Switzerland as a laboratory for republicanism. The Swiss Revolution of 1798 was not merely a local coup but a seismic shift in the European balance of power, turning a neutral buffer zone into a French satellite. Wood's narrative provides the 'Scholarly Shield' necessary to understand how the intricacies of Swiss cantonal governance were overwhelmed by the geopolitical ambitions of Revolutionary France.
SUBJECTS: Swiss History, 1798 Swiss Revolution, Napoleonic Wars, Helvetic Republic, Political Science, 18th Century Europe, History, Political Philosophy, First Edition.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: ESTC N2611.
Details
Title
A General View of the History of Switzerland [1799 Swiss Revolution] [First Edition]
Author
Wood, John (1775?-1922) [Historian]
Condition
Very Good
Publisher
Printed for Peter Hill: Edinburgh
Date
1799