"The Ordeal of Civilization: A Sketch of the Development and World-Wide Diffusion of Our Present-Day Institutions and Ideas".

"Profusely Illustrated".

printed in 1926.

a very thorough history of Western Civilization, and its spread of culture, trade, and ideology through conquest by religions, wars, mercantilism, & colonialism, and softer means of advancement such as the arts and sciences. 

it is much less biased/ethnocentric than most other books of the time, which is refreshing.

lots of illustrations, most are black & white sketches or photographs, but there are also full color maps.

CONDITION:

some wear to leather, including 2 tears to spine, rubbed edges. 

notes/prices from several bookstores on inside, in pencil. 

a previous owner heavily underlined IN PEN, like a monster. not all pages, just the first half or so of the book. but the sections they did read...my goodness.

all maps/plates accounted for.

textblock tight and clean, besides the pen marks.

SPECS: 

3/4 black leather with blue cloth hardcover.

bumpus/ribbed spine with guilding.

metallic gold marbled endpapers.

gilt top edge of textblock.

about 8.5 x 6 x 1.75".

769 pages, although the last 20 or so are all index. it's a very nice index though.

at least a hundred black & white illustrations (not numbered), 59 black & white plates, plus 12 color plates.