History of the English People, The Conquest of England, & The Making of England, by John Richard Green, Macmillan, 1884-1886

A substantial and handsomely bound six-volume set of John Richard Green's celebrated histories of England, comprising the complete four-volume History of the English People together with The Conquest of England and The Making of England, all published by Macmillan in the mid-1880s.

First issued in 1874, Green's History of the English People marked a turning point in historical writing, shifting focus away from monarchs and political elites toward the social, cultural, and intellectual life of the nation. Written in a vivid and accessible style, it quickly became one of the most widely read and influential histories of England, remaining popular well into the twentieth century. The companion volumes offered here expand upon this narrative, providing deeper treatment of the early formation of the English state.

The present set is uniformly bound by Maclehose of Glasgow in full calf with gilt-decorated spines, contrasting morocco labels, and marbled endpapers and edges. While the bindings show some wear, including rubbing and areas of damp marking to several covers, they remain structurally sound and retain an attractive shelf presence, with the gilt tooling still clear and the overall appearance cohesive across the set.

Comprising:

History of the English People. In four volumes, complete:
Vol. I: Early England 449-1071, Foreign Kings 1071-1214, The Charter 1204-1291, The Parliament 1307-1461. With Eight Maps. Published 1885; 
Vol II: The Monarchy 1461-1540, The Reformation 1540-1603. Published 1885;
Vol III: Puritan England 1603-1660, The Revolution 1660-1688. Published 1886; and; 
Vol IV: The Revolution 1683-1760, Modern England 1760-1815. Published 1886.

The Conquest of England:
With Portrait and Maps, Second edition. 1884; and; 

The Making of England:
With Maps. Published 1885.

All volumes published by Macmillan and Co., London, 1884-86. 

A set of full leather hardbacks with panelled covers with gilt and stamped panel decoration. Spines with full gilt tooling and burgundy and black morocco titles labels. With gilt dentelles to inside covers, gilt decoration to edge of boards, and marbled endpapers, with matching marble to text block edges. 

Covers with some light wear and bumping, and rubbing to joints. Some volumes with some cracking to joints, but all soundly bound. Some scuffs and usage marks. Some wear to head and tail of spines. 4 of the volumes have damp staining to outer covers. These water marks are largely confined to the outer covers, but the 'Conquest of England' volume has some crinkling and tide lines to the first few pages.

Overall the text pages are actually very good - bright and clean throughout with the  occasional usage mark. All maps and illustrations are present as called for.

An attractive set on the shelf, albeit with imperfect covers.

Text in English.

Dimensions: Each volume approx 222mm high x 152mm wide x 35-45mm deep.

Weight: approximately 6.4kg (the set - unpacked).