A complete eight-volume set bound in brown textured boards with decorations on the fronts and title and decorations on the spines. All spines have minor signs of wear, apart from Volume 1 which is very frayed at the bottom. All have tissue-guarded frontispieces, except Volume 2. Volume 1 has some damage to the front cover and signs of minor water damage to the back pages. It also contains a few penciled annotations. All are age-toned with foxing. Volume 2. The back cover is starting to come away from the boards at the bottom corner and there is a small water stain. Volume 5. Small water stain at the rear. All copies, except volume 1, have integral wool page-markers. Some volumes are a little slack, but not to a distressing degree. This is a beautiful set, with wonderful illustrations and fold-out maps. These are heavy books 7.84 kgs. So would incur a courier delivery.