This fascinating French geography book was first published in 1715 by Giffard, and was republished multiple times until 1805. It contains 18 folding maps: World, Europe, France, Low Countries, Switzerland, German Empire, Rhine, Italy, Spain & Portugal, Britain, Scandinavia, Poland, Turkish Empire, Greece, Asia, Middle East, Africa and the Americas. Both the world map and the Americas map show the island of California. The book is written in a unique "question and answer" format. At the end of the book is the essay Nouveau Traite de la Sphere, which begins by explaining how the Universe is believed to be a sphere. 16mo. Mottled calf, spine gilt with raised bands and tooling, with title-label lettered in gold, marbled painted edges, marbled endpapers. 415 pp., title page, table of contents, and 18 maps.

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Condition: A

The maps and text are very clean and bright. A few maps have minor misfolds as is common, Asia has a small stain at bottom right, and Scandinavia short binding tear. The covers are worn with bumped corners, and the spine is beginning to crack and chip.