One of a kind Book with hidden fore edged painting! 1861 English Battles and Sieges in the Peninsula, Extracted from his ‘Peninsular War’ by Lieutenant General Sir William Napier, K.C.B. Published in London by John Murray. This book is a true treasure… I have hung onto it for quite some time now and I adore it so much… What makes this a one of a kind book is the hidden fore edged painting! It is of a scene during The Battle of Bussaco, which was fought in 1810 during the Peninsula War, in the Portuguese mountain range of Serra do Buçaco, resulting in the defeat of French forces by Lord Wellington’s Anglo-Portuguese Army. It was hand painted onto the books page ends and then dusted with gold gilt to keep it hidden, until fanned out. The painting is also original to when the book was published, so it was painted in 1861! Usually I find the paintings very worn or faded… but this one stands out and is in amazing condition! It is also very well done. The book is wrapped in purple Moroccan leather, with a decorative spine that has faded to a light brown. It has a crest stamped on the front cover of The Kings College in London… and contains a bookplate that states it was presented to someone for general proficiency in 1861… so this book was specially made for that person, which makes it a prized edition and binding. You will not find another book just like this one. So these only increase in value over time. It contains a painting that was custom to this book in particular and is a work of art!
