The Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, Prescott 1893. This three-volume set is titled “History Of The Reign Of Ferdinand And Isabella, The Catholic” by William H. Prescott, it was published in Philadelphia by David McKay, and it’s the Third English Edition, undated, but from 1893, according to WorldCat. (The first edition was published in 1838.) The books are 3/4 bound, with five raised bands, gilt lettering and gilt decorations in six gilt-ruled compartments, marbled boards, marbled endpapers, and the top edges are gilt. Volume I has a frontis portrait of Isabella The Catholic, with a protective tissue guard, then the title page, a page dedicated to Prescott’s father, a Preface to the First Edition (5 - 13) and a Preface to the Third English edition (15 - 16), Contents that run to page 27, 464 pages of text, and two pages of ads for books from the American Classic Series at the rear. Volume II has a frontis portrait of Ferdinand the Catholic with a tissue guard, the title page, fourteen pages of Contents, a Map for the War of Granada, 455 pages of text, and two more pages of ads from the American Classic Series. And the last volume has a frontis portrait of Christopher Columbus with a tissue guard, the title page, twelve pages of Contents, a Map for Gonsolvo de Cordobas Campaigns in Italy, 453 pages of text, an Index that runs to page 489, and two pages of ads for books in the American classic series. William H. Prescott (1796 - 1859) was an American historian and Hispanist - someone who studied the literature and culture of the Spanish-speaking world, principally Spain and Hispanic America. He was widely recognized as the first American scientific historian, and despite having a serious visual impairment - bad eyes - which at times prevented him from reading or writing, he became one of the most eminent historians of 19th century America. He was also noted for his eidetic memory (a photographic memory), which allowed him total recall. Prescott specialized in late Renaissance Spain and the early Spanish Empire, and his works on the subject - The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic (1838), The History of the Conquest of Mexico (1843), A History of the Conquest of Peru (1847) and the unfinished History of the Reign of Phillip II (1856–1858) - have become classics in the field and have had a great impact on the study of both Spain and Mesoamerica. The books are 8vo. and measure 7 5/8 x 5 3/8 in. wide and are in great condition. The bindings are tight, the gilt is bright, and the pages and text are exceptionally clean, with just hints of rubbing at the crowns and on the boards along the edges near the tips, a bit of soiling going up the vertical edges of the second volume, a couple of tips are slightly turned in, and a very attractive set for someone interested in early Spanish history in Europe and the Americas, and in the Spanish Inquisition. #204 #1581