Ancient Egypt Rawlinson 1920 11th Impression Fold-Out Maps Illustrated
Bibliographical Details
Title: Ancient Egypt (The Story of the Nations Series)
Author: George Rawlinson, M.A., Camden Professor of Ancient History in the University of Oxford, with the collaboration of Arthur Gilman, M.A.
Illustrations: Frontispiece, numerous illustrations throughout the text, illustrated plates, fold-out colour map of Egypt and fold-out map of the Fayoum, all present.
Publisher: T. Fisher Unwin Ltd.
Place of Publication: Adelphi Terrace, London.
Printer: Morrison and Gibb Ltd., Edinburgh.
Date: 1920.
Edition: Eleventh Impression. First published in 1887 as part of The Story of the Nations series.
Historical & Bibliographical Context
Ancient Egypt formed part of the highly respected Story of the Nations series, an ambitious collection of historical works intended to present the history of major civilisations in an accessible yet scholarly manner. First published in the late Victorian period, the series became one of the best-known popular history collections of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
George Rawlinson's volume introduced generations of readers to the civilisation of Ancient Egypt, covering its rulers, religion, architecture, warfare, literature, and daily life. Although later archaeological discoveries have naturally expanded modern understanding, Rawlinson's work remains an important example of Victorian and Edwardian Egyptology.
Its numerous illustrations, engraved plates and fold-out maps significantly enhance both its usefulness and collectability. The detailed colour map of Egypt and the large fold-out map of the Fayoum are features often missing from surviving copies, making complete examples especially desirable.
Collectors continue to seek these volumes both individually and as part of the wider Story of the Nations series because they combine scholarly content with attractive period bindings and generous illustration.
About the Author
George Rawlinson (1812–1902) was one of Britain's leading nineteenth-century historians and biblical scholars. As Camden Professor of Ancient History at the University of Oxford, he published extensively on the ancient Near East, Persia, Assyria and Egypt. His works helped popularise ancient history for a wider audience and remain important milestones in the development of Victorian historical scholarship.
About Arthur Gilman
Arthur Gilman (1837–1909) was an American historian and educator who collaborated on several volumes within The Story of the Nations series. His editorial contributions helped present complex historical subjects in an engaging form suitable for the educated general reader.
About the Illustrations
The volume is extensively illustrated with text figures, full-page plates and two folding maps. Included are the restored Great Hall of Columns at Karnak as the frontispiece, a colour folding map of Egypt, and a large folding map of the Fayoum. These illustrations are integral to the work and contribute significantly to its desirability among collectors.
Binding & Exterior
Bound in the publisher's original red cloth over boards and spine.
The front board is decorated with a blind-stamped title, author and publisher's emblem, whilst the spine retains its gilt lettering. The top edge is stained red.
The binding remains robust and structurally sound. Cosmetic wear includes fading to the spine, light fading to parts of the cloth, bumping to the corners, a couple of light creases to the spine and very small tears at the head and tail. Overall, the binding presents well for a volume intended for regular reading and reference.
Interior Condition
The text block is complete with all preliminary pages and all 408 pages present.
The paper is lightly toned with age, with the expected tanning to the pastedowns and endpapers. There is a very small, rubbed patch near the edge of the front flyleaf where no text is affected.
The pages remain notably clean overall, with only occasional edge creases or small handling creases. A small amount of pen appears on one of the publisher's advertisements and a handful of pages contain light pencil annotations.
The binding remains secure throughout. Light gutter cracks are present between a small number of gatherings but do not affect the structural integrity of the book.
Importantly, all illustrated plates, the frontispiece and both folding maps are present.
Physical Details
Pagination: xxi, 408 pages.
Dimensions: Approximately 20 × 13.7 × 3.4 cm.
Weight: Approximately 851 g.
Rarity Assessment
Scarce
Whilst not rare, complete copies of the early T. Fisher Unwin impressions with both folding maps, all illustrated plates and the original publisher's cloth are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain in attractive condition.