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The Canterbury Tales
by Geoffrey Chaucer
- Used
- near fine
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Seller
-
Margate City, New Jersey, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
From the "100 Greatest Books of All Time." Fully bound in leather with gilt-edged pages and gilt decorations on the cover, back, spine. In contemporary verse by J. U. Nicolson.
Synopsis
Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London, the son of a wine-merchant, in about 1342, and as he spent his life in royal government service his career happens to be unusually well documented. By 1357 Chaucer was a page to the wife of Prince Lionel, second son of Edward III, and it was while in the prince's service that Chaucer was ransomed when captured during the English campaign in France in 1359-60. Chaucer's wife Philippa, whom he married c. 1365, was the sister of Katherine Swynford, the mistress (c. 1370) and third wife (1396) of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, whose first wife Blanche (d. 1368) is commemorated in Chaucer's ealrist major poem, The Book of the Duchess . From 1374 Chaucer worked as controller of customs on wool in the port of London, but between 1366 and 1378 he made a number of trips abroad on official business, including two trips to Italy in 1372-3 and 1378. The influence of Chaucer's encounter with Italian literature is felt in the poems he wrote in the late 1370's and early 1380s – The House of Fame , The Parliament of Fowls and a version of The Knight's Tale – and finds its fullest expression in Troilus and Criseyde . In 1386 Chaucer was member of parliament for Kent, but in the same year he resigned his customs post, although in 1389 he was appointed Clerk of the King's Works (resigning in 1391). After finishing Troilus and his translation into English prose of Boethius' De consolatione philosophiae , Chaucer started his Legend of Good Women . In the 1390s he worked on his most ambitious project, The Canterbury Tales , which remained unfinished at his death. In 1399 Chaucer leased a house in the precincts of Westminster Abbey but died in 1400 and was buried in the Abbey.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Freedman Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 2
- Title
- The Canterbury Tales
- Author
- Geoffrey Chaucer
- Format/Binding
- Leather bound
- Book Condition
- Used - Near Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- Limited
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- The Franklin Library
- Date Published
- 1974
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
- Keywords
- Chaucer, Canterbury, Canterbury Tales, Franklin Library
Terms of Sale
Freedman Rare Books
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Freedman Rare Books
Biblio member since 2023
Margate City, New Jersey
About Freedman Rare Books
As a child, I was fortunate enough to receive a first edition book signed by a president, and that moment ignited a lifelong passion for rare and unique books. The personal connection to that historical piece sparked a fascination with the stories and histories that books carry within their pages. Since then, my love for rare books has only deepened.
One of the aspects I find most rewarding is the art of restoration. I take great pleasure in breathing new life into dilapidated and under-appreciated books, giving them a second chance to be cherished. Kindly restoring these literary treasures allows me to not only preserve their physical integrity but also to ensure that the stories they hold can be fully appreciated by future generations.
For me, rare book restoration is more than a hobby; it's a commitment to preserving the cultural and historical significance that these books represent. It's about fostering a connection between the past and the present, ensuring that the knowledge and stories encapsulated in these volumes continue to inspire and captivate for years to come.
One of the aspects I find most rewarding is the art of restoration. I take great pleasure in breathing new life into dilapidated and under-appreciated books, giving them a second chance to be cherished. Kindly restoring these literary treasures allows me to not only preserve their physical integrity but also to ensure that the stories they hold can be fully appreciated by future generations.
For me, rare book restoration is more than a hobby; it's a commitment to preserving the cultural and historical significance that these books represent. It's about fostering a connection between the past and the present, ensuring that the knowledge and stories encapsulated in these volumes continue to inspire and captivate for years to come.
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