Written by Sir Walter Scott\'s son-in-law, this controversial biography of Robert Burns was considered upon publication \"inexcusably inaccurate from beginning to end, at times demonstrably mendacious, and should never be trusted in any respect or detail\". It is bound in marbled board wih leather corners and a leather spine with gilt decoration. The boards are heavily worn and chipped and the corners are bumped. The binding is tight but the leather is torn on the upper front joint. There is a dated (1903) name written on the endpapers and an inscription with name and date (1972) on the first blank page.