1869 Rare Book on Legend of King Arthur - Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson

Author: Alfred Tennyson, D.C.L., Poet Laureate.
Title: Idylls of the King.
Publisher: London, Strahan and Co., Publishers, 56 Ludgate Hill, 1869. Printed by Bradbury, Evans, and Co., Whitefriars.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 6.5" x 4.5".
Pages: viii- 405 pages.
Binding: Near fine and exquisite period full red morocco binding, elaborately blind-tooled with ornamental geometric and arabesque designs on covers, raised bands on spine with gilt title (hinges fine - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. A superb example of Victorian fine binding, with bright, rich red leather and minimal wear. A volume with strong shelf appeal. All edges gilt.
Content: Near fine content (bright, tight and clean- as shown).

Estimate: (USD 250 – 300).

The Book: Tennyson’s Idylls of the King stands as one of the greatest retellings of Arthurian legend in Victorian literature. First published in 1859, the Idylls grew in scope across subsequent editions. This 1869 Strahan & Co. edition contains the cycle of poems narrating the Coming of Arthur, the Round Table romances, and The Passing of Arthur. With its exploration of chivalric ideals, human frailty, and national destiny, the work became a touchstone of Victorian poetry, mirroring the anxieties and aspirations of the age.

The Author: Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892), served as Poet Laureate of Great Britain for much of Queen Victoria’s reign. A master of lyrical and narrative verse, his poetry combines Romantic imagination with Victorian moral seriousness. Works such as In Memoriam, The Charge of the Light Brigade, and Idylls of the King secured his place as the pre-eminent poet of his century.