The life of George Washington, commander in chief of the American forces, during the war which established the independence of his country, and first president of the United States. by Marshall, John; Bushrod Washington, and others - 1804-1807

Philadelphia: C. P. Wayne, 1804-1807. First edition. Good to very good.. 5 volumes octavo (22 cm) and atlas volume in quarto (29 cm). Portraits of Washington in volumes 1 and 5. Mixed set: volumes 1-4 in uniform polished calf with gilt rules on spine, red leather title labels with gilt lettering, and black leather lozenges with gilt volume numbers; volume 5 a similar polished calf with gilt tooled sections on spine and title and volume number stamped in gilt directly on the leather; atlas volume in marbled boards with leather backstrip and corners, balck leather title label Volumes 1-4 with light wear at extremities and some fraying; volume 5 with joints reinforced with strong Japanese tissue, head and tail rebuilt; atlas volume worn at edges. Pages generally toned, with occasional scattered foxing, more in volume 5. Damp marks on portrait in volume 1, portrait in volume 5 toned and a little foxed. One map in atlas with closed tear, and usual offsetting and foxing, minor staining to the subscriber leaves. Volumes 2 and 3 show ownership inscriptions of one Isaac Silliman; penciled ownership inscription on title page of vol. 5 and recent bookplate. Bookplate of James Douglas in atlas volume. References:

Chief Justice John Marshall wrote only one book in his life, the LIfe of Washington, published as a five-volume series between 1804 and 1807. The work is based on records and papers given to Marshall by Washington's family, but has received special renown because Marshall was an actual contemporary of Washington and served with him in the Continental Army. The biography experienced immediate success because, appearing within eight years of Washington’s death, its author was himself a statesman and jurist who knew the great man and many of his accomplishments first hand. Marshall’s Life of Washington is political history as well as biography, embracing the historical and intellectual events that established the United States as a nation-state. This copy, re-assembled from stray parts, provides the complete text in its first edition including the maps and the list of subscribers.