The History of the Crusades, Illustrated by Dore - Limited Edition

Okay, being a sucker for these Limited Editions, I went ahead and purchased a set. These are very nice, HUGE books. If you are wanting to put these on the self next to your other books, don't buy these. You may have to invest in a table to display these. These volumes are each 10.5 by 14.25 inches and weigh approximately 20lbs combined, so please strap on your weight belt to move these. Quality is again excellent. The covers are nicely padded and thick to hold up the the volumes extra girth, much like the LE Kelmscott Chaucer. The three color embossed covers and spine are very nice, although the embossing is approximately standard depth, not quite as deep as the Chaucer. The paper is nice, comparable to EP's normal high standards, but not exceptional. Dore's 100 illustrations are beautifully reproduced and add to the allure of these volumes. These are "hand numbered to just 600 copies" although the only numbering I have found is on the toss in card in Volume 2 (which has a slightly crumpled end paper from when they clumsily inserted that, but I'm anal).

So the big question is, are they worth the price? I would say yes, they are reasonably priced given the mammoth scale and limited run of these books. If you are interested in the subject matter, and appreciate a quality book, then I would recommend them. If you have leg circulation issues or read exclusively in your bed, don't buy them. These volumes are so large that they will cut off blood flow through your femoral artery, so these should come with a warning to only read them on a table.

That all being said, I will happily add them to my library and enjoy them for years to come. Now for the pictures (with standard disclaimers such as "I am not a professional photographer" and "These books are much more impressive in person" yadda, yadda, yadda...)

You'll also find your number on the last page of the second volume.

Wow, wow, I am lost for words. I will have to order this, does anyone know what the number is for international orders?

Thanks Silent. I probably would have known that if I had looked through the books more thoroughly or read the books. Since I just got them I've done neither just yet! :) Thanks for your note. I do now see it there, which is good to know.

Ironjaw, the page on their site is as follows:
http://www.eastonpressbooks.com/leather/product.asp?code=2563

But if you are looking for their phone number it is as follows (as copied from EP's web site):
"From the USA and Canada: 1-800-243-5160.
Our toll-free number is open from 9-5, MF, ET.

From other countries please call 203-855-8717"

Excellent. Thank you, Hamletscamero. I thought your photographs of the Faerie Queene looked big - these look truly massive.

Holy cow! Those are some gigantic books! They are so beautiful. What a lovely addition they would be to a library with their own table and reading light.

Holly S.... I NEVER imagined those were so huge. I've been eying them for a while but I might have to rethink this purchase for I fear they will be too big for my library... They do look GREAT though....

I love that size!

That is definitely one of the most beautiful books I've seen! My only complaint, EP should have included a slipcase! Thanks for the pics...

Thank you all for the help! I ordered History of the Crusades, illustrated by Gustave Doré yesterday via email. Got Cindi, very polite.

Ironic that they dwarf Melville's white whale (with its black binding)!

Nice. EP is still selling the History of the Crusades and its already listed on email for $900.00 USD. Which should I go for?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Easton-Press-HISTORY-CRUSADES-Deluxe-Limited-Ed-/35040025499...

I would buy gilded-legacy's copies and consider myself lucky that I got them while E/P is still selling them. Once they are out of print the price will be $1500!

15: I don't think I understand your post... paying $400 more than you should doesn't sound lucky to me!

They need a smiley for sarcasm.

15> I'd offer to sell mine for $1800, but I wouldn't want you to be disappointed at only having paid half that.

Ah yes... sarcasm.
Sometimes it doesn't come across too well when one is tired and online :)

To point out, one sold last week at auction for $430, great deal to whomever bought it.

It looks as though this may have sold out - it is no longer visible on the E/P website. I managed to get a set, and glad I ordered when I did...

I do believe you are correct ajax!
Consequently, eBay prices seem to be hovering around $900! However, there is currently one auction (ends in less than 24 hours) and the current price is less than $200...

Looks like I ordered mine just in the nick of time :-)

23> One never knows as EP doesn't make it easy to track the status on one's purchases. I doubled checked my email receipt from two weeks ago and it clearly states that the order is contingent upon availability. I'll wait until it arrives before commenting on my perspicacity.

Looks like gilded raised his price on History to $1400 since it's now OOP. Although yesterday his price was $900. Clearly, he's reading this newsgroup. I was wondering, do you guys think gilded actually contributes anything useful to humanity? Or is he one of those guys who just tries to take advantage of the situation. Hey, we all try to take advantage of the situation from time to time, but not ALL the time! Seems to me gilded basically purchases everything that EP releases, then charges at least $50 more than what you can get directly from EP. When something goes out of print, he then asks 2-3 times it's original cost. Seems lame to me.

>25 astropi:

From the view of an EP collection I agree. However, from a business perspective it makes sense. The scarcity of items will always affect the price of the items. Clearly gilded makes a business out of this. Think of it this way, if you had a 1971 convertable Hemi 'Cuda, would you sell at a moderate rate or would you jack up the price because of its scarcity? People will pay good money for these scarce items, just like people will pay REALLY good money for these scarce vehicles.

Yes but that is a 1971 convertible not 2 months old. I would expect to pay more if the LE was older not something that was just recently released

25: Gilded definitely visits this group. He has swiped some of the fliers from the Post Your Posters thread here to use in his auctions. The flier images are identical-- every crease the same.

Re 25: Don't you have an Easton Press version of Kelmscott Press Canterbury Tales for sale on Amazon @ $2000?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B002QX30VK/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&s=b...

>29 AgaEP:

This is indeed a shocking development.

>25 astropi:

Wha?

>27 ironjaw:

Very true, but then we need to determine whether scarcity of product or age of product make up most of the price. Again, gilded's prices are higher than I would deem reasonable, but so is a $2.2 million dollar money pit with an engine :)

29>

(*jaw drops*)

Who in their right mind would pay more than 2k for a book published within a year earlier? Perhaps it will be this amount in 2020, not anytime soon, astropi. Only a handful of published editions sold out immediately and doubled at least within one month. This includes the Mandela. One can only dream to make that amount of profit, reinvesting with more coming out of printing. This has to be advertising, right?? If it must be a very expensive book, it absolutely positively must have the finest quality paper, best protection and including very beautiful design in and out, with a quality good enough to frame centuries from now.

A number of the more recent limited editions are impressive, yet in my opinion only a handful grade at least a 9 or 10. Most impressive book was the Chaucer, this one I had to get. Others were not as impressive, hard to explain the reasons other than the plain design of the leather. Exact reproductions are the same, yet books can be very much like works of art. The smallest details can bring out more life than thought of, increasing the tendency of more ideas of collector editions.

>34 EastonQuality:, EastonQuality, I agree with you that the Kelmscott Chaucer is probably the best of the EP LE books. I think EP lost money on this edition since many of the subsequent LEs have been smaller, with some components being of slightly less premium quality for the comparative prices. That is not to say that I dislike the other LEs, but it is interesting to see Easton gain their footing in the slightly trickier market of higher priced limited editions. Folio Society has been doing this for years, but EP has, for the most part, fit the niche of good quality leather bound books at a good price. As they continue to release the limited editions, you can see the different approaches to such things as illustrations, paper quality, and binding detail. I'm happy to see them continue as aggressively as they have been, and I hope that they continue so that we can have a really good, attainable source of very high quality books on this side of the pond. I just hope that my bank account can keep up! :)

Astropi $2000 really? When is that Caribbean cruise?

Does anyone remember how much Kelmscott retailed for by EP? $600?

>36 ironjaw:, yes, $600.
http://www.librarything.com/topic/92691

The $2000 Kelmscott? That was a joke a friend of mine and I put up on amazon, ONLY because someone had put a Kelmscott on amazon for $4000 :) Really. And by the way, after we did our posting the $4000 Kelmscott dropped down to $2000 or so. As for a Caribbean cruise, eh maybe... but not before the PhD!

>38 astropi:

That was a good joke, indeed & it worked~!

The extremely high prices in my guess a strategy to convince others the book has greatly appreciated in a short time. Simple logic for say a $600 book, six months later offers for $2000-4000. Perhaps some have not much of an idea what it was originally and willing to pay anything. At the end, sales between $1000-$1600. Haven't made any connections, otherwise it is to say to the e-world ''Look what I have available. Not intending to sell but make an offer I cannot refuse so I can buy more directly and build a vast library.''

I don't know of any limited edition that appreciates so quickly in value. It does seem that as soon as it sells out some resellers ask 3-6 times original cost. Amazon is typically the worst place to purchase such collectibles. Sometimes you find great deals of course, but often people ask far more than what you would pay for on eBay. The thing about amazon is that you can leave your stock up for as long as you wish. My friend never intended to sell his Kelmscott Chaucer, but since the other one was $4000, we couldn't help but put his up at 1/2 price :)

It's not that odd to see a book twice as much within a year, it happens every year. What makes it a challenge sometimes is one who offers it for much more when it's currently in print and recently new in the catalog. Or offering twice higher than the normal offers on items that half the time are sold. Can anyone tell me how Folio Society can offer books over $5k limited to 1,000 or more and sell them within a year? Noticed a few titles in the $10k mark & sell quickly. Perhaps a private library interested in replica prints of 13th century text?? Not too many can afford multiple books equivalent to a like new vehicle.

Received my copy today. Obviously, they are not distributed with consecutive limitation numbers as I've got copy 65. Wow, I knew it was a big set but it is really massive and heavy. Does anyone know the name of the translator? How about the publishing date of the original George Barrie, English edition?

Publishing date: 1880s

This looks to be the original (though the cover piece has been slightly altered).

http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=1278488&image=4199104...

From this auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/1800s-HISTORY-CRUSADES-BY-MICHAUD-DORE-2-VOL-/320625509045?p...

>44 DanMat: Thanks for posting, DanMat. I wish EP had gone with the lighter saddle brown leather. The printed cover detail is much harder to read on the chocolate brown leather.

The price they have on the ebay original books is not that bad as long as you don't mind the condition issues.

I'm happy to sell any of my 100 best for 199.99 per book. These are hand signed by myself and are limited to multiple runs of 1 printing each. So each book is 1/1. Very unique each.

As an addition I will draw a cartoon cactus on the inside cover as further personalization.

44: thanks for the link. I have to say, I would FAR rather have the EP version. I don't care if a book is first printing, or 700th. I do care about quality and condition. Why pay $800 for an original copy that is in terrible condition (relatively speaking) when you can purchase a new EP copy for $500! Well, the EP copies are sold out, but you *could* have purchased one for $500 :)

Just incase anyone is interested, I found this set up for sale on ebay for $1399.99 us dollars. Way out my price range.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Easton-Press-HISTORY-CRUSADES-Dore-Limited-Ed-/3504002549...

> 48

Well I think it is out of many peoples price range. Though noticing who the seller is I am not surprised at all. Fair enough that if someone pays that amount of money for the set then ok fine by me.

Well, I didn't purcahse this set (the EP one) and I kind of regret it (I especially love Dore, and don't have these particular illustrations), but the skinflint in me (who always finds substitutes, like the 12 dollar Dover version, or a Kessinger) has the majority, so to speak. I think it was that year and a half after college, living with my parents and paying off a 2k credit card debt, working in a horrible restaurant, using my Mom's station wagon, that left me with an impression I just can't seem to get rid of. Not like working in a shoe polish factory, mind you, but...

It's terrible how those sellers mark up the price, but it kinda justifies buying these sets, that is, if you have the money or credit. I would think getting rid of one at cost would be very, very easy if you ever needed to do that. Of course, do we know if these wickedly overpriced sets actually get purchased? I guess if you put them in your "watched list" you get a link to the auction with a little info about the purchaser.

>45 hamletscamaro:
That chocolate brown is kinda bold. I personally like it, but I know what you mean about the saddle brown.

DanMat, if you just want a good set of illustrations, I recently picked up The Drawings of Gustave Dore at Barnes and Noble on the sale racks for $17 in hardback. I can't find it on teh BN website, but here is the book I am referring to:
http://www.amazon.com/Drawings-Gustave-Dore-Illustrations-Classics/dp/B001K2EGRA

This includes many of the drawings from The Crusades

Thanks, that book looks great. I wish I knew about it sooner (I don't like the way the oversized Dover books sit, or slump, on the shelves). I did a World Cat search too. 600 pages, wow!

Year: 2008
Description: 608 p
Contents: Introduction -- Idylls of the king / Alfred, Lord Tennyson -- Orlando Furioso / Ludovico Ariosto -- The Raven / Edgar Allen Poe -- The Divine Comedy / Dante Alighieri -- The rime of the ancient mariner / Samuel Taylor Coleridge -- The adventures of Baron Munchausen / Rudolf Erich Raspe -- Fables / Jean de La Fontaine -- Fairy tales / Charles Perrault -- Don Quixote / Miguel de Cervantes -- Gargantua and Pantagruel / François Rabelais -- Paradise lost / John Milton -- The bible -- The history of the crusades / Joseph François Michaud.

Yes, despite the fact that Dover book is a hardback with a dust jacket, it is not all that great as far as quality is concerned. It already slumps and the pages rub. My copy had the corners slightly dinged, but it only cost me $17, so I was fine with it.

I'm hoping that EP publishes copies of some of the other books with Dore's illustrations. I now have or will have 4 of those titles, but it would be nice to have a few of the others. Idylls of the King and Adventures of Baron Munchausen would be great. I'd also like to get Don Quixote and The Raven. I don't know how many of these EP has ever published.

53: EP already published Idylls of the King. However, I don't know if it contained all the Dore illustrations to it or not. It was part of their Famous Editions, and it is a beauty. I know they also published Don Quixote, Paradise Lost, and Perrault's Fairy Tales. Like you, I would love to get my hands on those I don't have (which is quite a lot, sadly)...

Actually, after quickly checking, Idylls of the King did include the Dore Illustrations (http://www.eastonpressbooks.com/leather/product.asp?code=1505). Now that I think about it, there is another thread somewhere here on this book. I may have to search that out if EP doesn't republish.

I know Perrault's Fairy Tales is still in print. I hope to get that before it runs out of print. The others I missed, and I'm hoping that EP republishes.

55: yes, Idylls did include the Dore illustrations, however I do not know if it included ALL the illustrations Dore did for Idylls.

edit: assuming he did 40 illustrations in total, then that would be all of them :)

Well then we certainly need wailofatail or Quicksilver66 or someone to weigh in on this and help us out. I know someone must have Idylls on here that can tell us if EP included all of the Dore prints.

The book of illustrations I have says that he had 9 illustrations for four of the 12 poems (i.e. 36), but they only include 18 of the prints in this book. It would be nice to see all of them.

The Notes from the Archives for Easton's Famous Edition of Idylls says Dore did a total of 37 etchings, 9 for each of the four parts plus a frontispiece. The Easton edition includes them all.

Good to hear :)
I was going to check when I got home, but you beat me to it.

15- wailofatail
"I would buy gilded-legacy's copies and consider myself lucky that I got them while E/P is still selling them. Once they are out of print the price will be $1500!"

He recently sold a set for $1399.99. You can see it by looking through his completed listings.

Yes, I saw that. And as soon as that set sold he listed another for $1899.99 plus shipping. I thought I was only kidding in my Oct. post.

Clearly, some books do appreciate in value. It is a magnificent set. I would say the only problem is that it came without a slipcase or box, which basically means I need to make one myself (takes time :)

>62 astropi:

Quite off topic, and I'm sure being a "new" forum user I'm unaware that this info is available elsewhere...but how on earth do you make your slipcases? I'd love to get in on that!

Out of wood. I took courses in woodmaking (for free) at the University (the perks of being in graduate school :)

I just got a copy in the mail and these are amazing. Gilded Legacy just sold a sealed copy for $1,899 too. I got mine from Half Price Books in MN through abebooks.com for less than 1/3 of that. They are open with a little shelf wear but I'm so happy to have a copy. I might need one of the Easton bookshelves to read them though!

Day dreaming...

>65 boddhidharma: you got a great deal. If you want something it will eventually pop up at a reasonable price. Now if I can only find the Three Musketeers DLE for $150.

It's fun to dream :)