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POLO, MARCO; YULE, HENRY, trans. & ed. The Book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian, Concerning the Kingdoms and Marvels of the East. Volume II. Second Edition, Revised. London: John Murray, 1875.
Original publisher’s dark cloth, ruled in blind, with gilt armorial device to upper board and gilt lettering and decorative tooling to spine. Volume II of Yule’s important and extensively revised second edition of Marco Polo’s travels, newly translated and edited with scholarly notes, maps, and illustrations by Colonel Henry Yule.
A particularly attractive production, retaining the striking red-and-black pictorial half-title dated 1874, together with numerous engraved illustrations, maps, colored plates, and elaborate folding material. Complete with all plates, maps, and fold-outs called for in this volume, including the large folding view of the Lake of Tali, the impressive folding photolithographic facsimile of the celebrated Christian inscription of Singanfu in Chinese and Syriac characters, and the folding facsimile of the Mongol letter in Uighur characters with its large red Chinese seal.
Yule’s edition became one of the foundational scholarly English editions of Marco Polo, extensively annotated with geographical, historical, linguistic, and ethnographic commentary. The second edition was considerably revised and enlarged from the 1871 first edition, incorporating new material and numerous additional illustrations.
Condition: Good overall. Original cloth shows general rubbing, scuffing, soiling, and wear, with fraying and losses at the spine ends and corners. Hinges/endpaper areas show separation and weakness, though the text block remains present and readable. Former institutional library copy with labels, stamps, shelf markings, and evidence of removed labels to the pastedowns and spine. Contents show scattered age toning and occasional spotting. Plates, maps, and folding illustrations remain notably attractive for their age. Complete as Volume II with all called-for fold-outs and illustrations present. Volume I not included.
A scarce, substantially illustrated 1875 second revised edition of one of the great works of travel and exploration, particularly desirable for its remarkable nineteenth-century maps, color plates, and large folding facsimiles.
