London: Richard Bentley, 1847. 1st edition. 2 vols. xvi, 444 & 510 pages. Original half morocco binding with marbled boards. Gilt spine titles, raised bands on spine, top edges gilt. Marbled endpapers. First published in French in 1847 and then in English. Jean-Henri Schnitzler (aka Johann Heinrich - 1802-1871) was an eyewitness to the Decembrist Uprising, which occurred on December 26, 1825, and he offered a detailed history of it and its aftermath. Imperial Army officers led about 3,000 soldiers in a protest against Tsar Nicholas I's assumption of the throne after his elder brother Constantine removed himself from the line of succession. The revolt was suppressed by the Tsar. This event marked the beginning of revolutionary movements in Russia. Alexander Pushkin wrote poems to his Decembrist friends, Nikolai Nekrasov wrote an influential poem about the Decembrist wives, and there was even an indirect influence on Tolstoy's epic novel "War and Peace". Schnitzler also has observations on Russian manners and on the Russian society of that day. Scarce. Very good condition, hinges sound. All tips are shelf-worn, some wear to binding. [#NVC-76] 1 copy only

1847 Secret History of the Court of Russia $250.00