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IGGULDEN**, CONN: : THE GATES OF ATHENS. [Author SIGNED copy.]

LONDON.MICHAEL JOSEPH/a part of the Penguin Random House group of companies,2020.

ISBN 9780241351239.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,b/w map illustrated,author SIGNED,1st edn. [Complete number line 001.] FINE/FINE. No owner inscrptn but author's neat,handwritten black ink signature - without dedication beneath his printed name on the title page,and no price-clip to dw/dj.Bright,crisp, clean,matt,montage'd colour images illustrated dw/dj panels,with author's,capitalised,glossy, embossed white-lettered name at front's top edge and similarly coloured+lettered title towards front's lower edge of dw/dj with a flat printed, glossy cream-lettered strapline beneath that. Spine/backstrip with an almost similarly coloured illustration as the front's but minus the gilt shield image of the front's and with author's name and the title in flat printed, capitalised,glossy, white-lettering; with the publisher's capitalised,matt,white-lettered name to the foot of same; rear panel of dw/dj with a different montage'd illustration with white-lettered prose extract from the novel.Negligible shelf-wear to edges and corners - no nicks,tears or splits present.Top+fore-edges bright,crisp and clean without foxing/spotting; contents bright,tight,clean,solid and sound - virtually pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corner tips,appears unread apart from my collation.Publisher's bright,crisp,unblemished, sharp-cornered,original plain royal blue cloth boards with bright,crisp,blocked gilt lettering to spine/backstrip,a bright,light blue with black speckling headband and immaculate Ancient World colour pictorial regional map showing the Ionian and Aegean Seas and corresponding countries of Crete, Peloponese, Thessaly, Macedon, Thrace and the Persian Empire, illustrated front endpapers,and b/w illustration of an Athens street scene to illustrated rear endpapers. UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,b/w map illustrated, author SIGNED,1st edn,xiii-xvpp+1-442pp [paginated] includes separate Pronunciation lists for Military terms, Locations, Characters, Additional words and The Tribes of Athens,a Prologue,Pt 1 (490 BC) and Pt 2 (482 BC) comprising 25 chapters each,author's Historical Note; plus [unpaginated] half-title,author SIGNED title page,a dedication with blank reverse,2 epigrams ('He spoke to me - his words had wings.' - Homer and 'Quick,bring me a beaker of wine, that I may wet my mind and say something clever.' - Aristophanes.),3 b/w illustrated maps: Athens,c. 480 BC, Battle of Marathon,490 BC and Movement of Persian Forces, 480 BC respectively,and to the rear,4pp blanks.  Visually the external appearance is exceptional,and particularly internally,is also in an exceptional condition/state of preservation and presentation.It really is an exceptional,exemplary example for it's brightness,cleanliness and lack of other detracting faults.                                On the plains of Marathon an army of slaves gathers. . . Under Darius the Great, King of Kings, the mighty Persian army - swollen by 10,000 Immortal warriors - have come to subjugate the Greeks.In their path,vastly outnumbered,stands an army of freeborn Athenians,and among them is clever,fearsome and cunning soldier-statesman,Xanthippus.Knowing defeat means slavery lends keenness to his already sharp blade . . . Yet people soon forget that freedom is bought with blood.Ten years later,Xanthippus watches helplessly as Athens succumbs to the bitter politics of factionalism.Traitors and exiles abound.Trust is at a low ebb.Which is when the Persians cross the Hellespont in ever greater numbers to raze Athens to the ground.Facing overwhelming forces by land and sea,the Athenians call on their Spartan allies for assistance - to delay the Persians at the treacherous pass of Thermopylae . . . Featuring two of the most famous battles of the Ancient World - the Battle of Marathon and the Last Stand at Thermopylae - The Gates of Athens is a bravura piece of storytelling in which a people,driven to preserve their freedom at any cost,committed acts both base and noble.          Filled with political scheming,invasions, treacheries, ambition and honour,'The Gates of Athens' is the story of those who chose to resist tyranny - and by doing so,changed the course of history.   Please contact the seller,particularly ALL overseas buyers for correct,insured shipping/P+p quotes BEFORE placing your order,especially if ordering any multiples.   N.B. ALL buyers please note,stock(s') shipping quotes are adjusted for any refunds AFTER receipt of order and BEFORE the despatch of the order,especially if the item is offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard US AIRMAIL postage to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always. **                                                                                            

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,b/w map illustrated,author SIGNED,1st edn.
Author SIGNED - without dedication.

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