Product Details

An attractive 1873 edition of Newton Forster; or, The Merchant Service by Captain Frederick Marryat, published in London by George Routledge and Sons. The title page is dated 1873 and notes that the volume is illustrated. Newton Forster is a maritime adventure novel following its title character through shipwreck, separation, naval life, danger, and a series of extraordinary adventures at sea. Marryat drew upon his own extensive naval experience, giving his sea stories the nautical detail for which his fiction became known. This edition is especially appealing for its 19th-century decorative binding. It features a gilt-decorated leather spine with raised bands, contrasting title panels reading “Marryat’s Novels” and “Newton Forster,” leather corners, and richly patterned red, blue, cream, and gold marbled paper over the boards. The page edges are also decoratively marbled, creating a particularly handsome presentation when the book is closed. Condition: The binding shows age-related rubbing, scuffing, and wear, particularly to the leather spine, joints, corners, and board edges. The marbled boards have surface rubbing and marks. Interior pages show scattered foxing, spotting, toning, and other signs of age, particularly around the preliminary leaves. The binding and contents should be carefully reviewed in the photographs for their exact condition. A handsome Victorian maritime novel in an ornate leather and marbled binding, combining an early dated edition of Marryat's classic sea adventure with decorative 19th-century bookbinding.