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. Title page; xxiv; 404 pp; list of maps; 87 pp; [5 pp]. Full leather, spine with raised bands and gilt tooling, all edges marbled, and original green ribbon page marker.

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Condition: A

All of the maps are clean and bright and in excellent condition, except for the world map which is missing the left edge of the map due to the map being midfolded and sticking out of the volume. The text has minor toning and soiling. The covers have bumped corners and the spine is lightly worn with a few small worm holes and a crack at top left.