A Short History of the English People [Illustrated Edition; Complete in Four Volumes]

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893. Very Good/No Dust Jacket, As Issued.
THE STORY OF ENGLAND THROUGH ITS PEOPLE
John Richard Green's landmark history shifted the focus of English historical writing away from kings, battles, and dynasties toward the lives, institutions, and cultural development of ordinary people. Widely regarded as one of the most influential popular histories of the nineteenth century, the work helped redefine how English history was understood and taught for generations.

Edited after Green's death by Mrs. J. R. Green and historian Kate Norgate, this expanded four-volume edition presents a richly illustrated and extensively revised version of the author's celebrated narrative. The set captures the evolution of English society, government, religion, literature, and daily life, supported by numerous illustrations, historical reproductions, and reference material. Its combination of scholarship and readability made it one of the defining historical works of the Victorian era.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Publisher's original deep red cloth bindings with gilt-stamped spine titles and large decorative gilt-stamped emblems and titles on the front boards. Top edges gilt. Quarto format; approximately 10 inches tall. Pagination: Volume I, 468 pages; Volume II, 931 pages; Volume III, 1409 pages; Volume IV, 1906 pages plus [2] pages. Illustrated throughout with plates, in-text drawings, maps, and historical reproductions. Volume IV contains the comprehensive index, corrections, and additions for the entire set.

CONDITION: Bindings are tight and secure. Text is clean; light, even age-toning. Moderate shelf handling wear with minor corner rubbing. The spines are mildly dulled. Gilt stamping remains clear and attractive. A sound, complete, and well-preserved four-volume set. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE -
First published in 1874, A Short History of the English People represented a major departure from traditional political histories. Green emphasized social, religious, literary, and constitutional developments, helping establish social history as a respected field of study. The work remained a standard reference and educational text well into the twentieth century and continues to be recognized as one of the great achievements of Victorian historical writing.

CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS
+++ Classic Victorian social history of England
+++ Complete four-volume illustrated edition
+++ Edited and expanded by Mrs. J. R. Green and Kate Norgate
+++ Comprehensive index, corrections, and additions in Volume IV
+++ Influential work that helped popularize social history
+++ Richly illustrated throughout with full-page color reproductions of medieval manuscript illuminations, historical facsimiles, engraved views, maps, drawings, and dramatic folding panoramic plates including an extensive view of Old London Bridge.
+++ The Illustration: Old London Bridge: The 24 inch panorama depicts the bridge as it appeared circa 1600, famously crowded with multi-story houses and shops. According to the caption: It is based on a unique drawing in the Pepysian Collection at Magdalene College, Cambridge. The reproduction was made by the New Shakspere Society in 1881 by W. Griggs.

SUBJECTS: English History; British Social History; Victorian Historiography; Constitutional History; Medieval England; Tudor England; English Society; John Richard Green, British History; Social History; Victorian Studies; Historical Reference