War And Peace: [A Novel]. By Count Lyof N. Tolstoï. From The Russian By Nathan Haskell Dole Count Leo Tolstoy

Undated, but circa 1896. 4 vols. Covers of vols i and ii faintly marked, upper hinges of both very mildly cracked; endpapers a little spotted or embrowned, some faint spotting of edges; but a very nice set, the gilt still bright. 16pp. publisher's advertisements at the ends of vols i and ii, four at the ends of vols iii and iv. First "authorised translation" into English from the original Russian (novel first published 1869, Dole's translation first published, four volumes bound in two, by Thomas Y. Crowell, New York, 1889, and by Walter Scott in England in four vols the same year), this a later issue, or later printing, circa 1896 from the advertisements, with the ownership signatures of Mabel Fitzmaurice. The Newcastle publisher Walter Scott (1826-1910) published 32 titles by Tolstoy between 1888 and 1910, fuelling a passion in England for his works. Mabel Gertrude Fitzmaurice (née Gray, 1872-1943), from Sydney, New South Wales, married in 1896 the future Vice-Admiral Sir Maurice Swynfen Fitzmaurice, Director of Naval Intelligence 1921-4. (Were these volumes a wedding present?) Her husband's last post was as Commander-in-Chief, Africa; he died in 1927 at Simonstown, South Africa.