The Thrales of Streatham Park [new, in PERFECT condition]

Cambridge, Massachusetts & London: Harvard University Press, 1978. A gorgeous, pristine copy. Brand New condition in a Brand New dust jacket. PERFECT CONDITION. NO chips. NO tears. NO creases. NO rubbing. NO sun fading. NO tanning of the jacket (spine of jacket is still bright white!!). Bright, clean, square, and tight. Sharp corners. NO owner's name or bookplate. NOT a remainder. Fresh and crisp -- obviously never read. 7.25" wide by 10.5" tall. Note that the LARGER FORMAT and TYPE SIZE of this 1978 third printing makes for easier reading when compared to the 1977 first printing. With 56 illustrations. Index. Bound in the original black cloth, stamped in shiny gold on the spine. From the pristine dust jacket: "Samuel Johnson encouraged his friends to keep journals, and with the exception of James Boswell, none of them made better use of his advice than Hester Thrale, the talented, witty, courageous woman who, following the death of Johnson's wife, became his closest female friend. Much of the story of the friendship between Johnson and the Thrales is told in a journal begun in 1766 by Hester Thrale to which she gave the name, the 'Family Book.' The 'Family Book' was intended as a chronological record of the growth, accomplishments, education, illnesses, travels, and diversions of the twelve children born of Hester Thrale's marriage to Henry Thale, a prosperous, cultivated London brewer and member of Parliament. It is soon transformed into an intimate account of her own daily life though the children continue to provide much of the drama, mostly tragic since only four of the twelve survived childhood... Despite her personal sorrows, Mrs. Thrale became one of the eighteenth century's most hospitable hostesses. Streatham Park, the Thrales' country house where Johnson lived for much of each year as a well-loved member of the family, drew many of the other cultural luminaries of the day, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Oliver Goldsmith, Charles Burney and his talented daughter Fanny, among others. Mary Hyde has used a wonderful narrative skill... drawing on a wide range of contemporary letters, journals, and biographies as well as much fresh, original research.". Third printing of the 1977 original. Hardcover. New/New. Illus. by Kelly, Felix (jacket art). xvii, 373pp. Great Packaging, Fast Shipping.