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2011/07/16 04:22:12
Subject: Finding the Age of a Book
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Longtime Dakkanaut
Maryland
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I recently purchased a book, and I'm looking into finding out just how old it is.
The reason? If what I've found so far is true, it may have been published circa 1830, which to me would be absolutely incredible.
The book in question is Sir. W. F. P. Napier's History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France, Volume I. The publisher is Frederick Warne and Co. Now, the title page has next to no information - simply the book's title, author and the publishing company. A perusal through the book reveals nothing as well. The general condition of the book shows well worn usage, but nothing really past that, although the pages inside are still well intact.
The only other bit of evidence I can find is at the end of the index, which mentions a Ballatyne, Hanson, and Co., which were the printers, located in London and Edinburgh.
Any help? I hoped that, with the amount of people Dakka attracts, someone might have the resources to help me.
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2011/07/16 04:44:35
Subject: Finding the Age of a Book
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Secret Force Behind the Rise of the Tau
USA
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If the front page has no publishing information you can assume it is sufficiently old enough that such information was not printed in books. Definitely older than 1920, as I've seen books from that decade and most of them had publishing info or a year on them.
A cursory look online says the publisher was founded in 1796 and closed in 1916.
William Francis Patrick Napier lived from 1785 to 1860. Most likely (this is just me guessing), the book in question was likely written and first published in either the 1830's or the 1840's as that's when most of the Napoleonic War books were being published (those written by participants). A look at his wikipage reads that the first copies were published in 1828, but this is seemingly under a different publisher.
Likely, Ballatyne, Hanson, and Co. picked it up later in the 1830's when the was a great deal of literature on the Napoleonic Wars being published and a great deal of interest in it.
The quality of the pages is generally a bad test for age. I went through authentic Civil War drill manuals a month back, and their conditions varied widely. Some were in excellent shape and definitely did not look 150 years old. Others looked older.
That's what I got.
Really, you'll probably need a specialist to get an exact date.
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This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2011/07/16 04:45:21
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2011/07/16 04:52:38
Subject: Finding the Age of a Book
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Longtime Dakkanaut
Maryland
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Thank you!
The thing was, I found an item on eBay.co.uk with the description of a book much like mine, but volume IV in the series. The person selling it claimed it to have been published around 1830 - so if it's part of the same publishing series, I'd be happy to buy it.
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2011/07/16 04:55:10
Subject: Finding the Age of a Book
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Phanobi
oh,you know. in a basement...cooking ponies into cupcakes....
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infinite_array wrote:Thank you!
The thing was, I found an item on eBay.co.uk with the description of a book much like mine, but volume IV in the series. The person selling it claimed it to have been published around 1830 - so if it's part of the same publishing series, I'd be happy to buy it.
be careful,ive seen plenty of story of people getting ripped off on ebay from fake items. not sure why anyone would fake an old book though.
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 Deathshead420 wrote:As your leader, I encourage you, from time to time and always in a respectful manner, to question my logic. If you're unconvinced a particular plan of action I've decided is the wisest, tell me so! But allow me to convince you. And I promise you, right here and now, no subject will ever be taboo … except, of course, the subject that was just under discussion. The price you pay for bringing up either my Chinese or American heritage as a negative is – I collect your f  g head. [Holds up Tanaka's head] Just like this f r here. Now, if any of you sons of bitches got anything else to say, now's the f g time! [Pause] I didn't think so.
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2011/07/16 04:56:03
Subject: Finding the Age of a Book
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Secret Force Behind the Rise of the Tau
USA
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lord commissar klimino wrote:infinite_array wrote:Thank you!
The thing was, I found an item on eBay.co.uk with the description of a book much like mine, but volume IV in the series. The person selling it claimed it to have been published around 1830 - so if it's part of the same publishing series, I'd be happy to buy it.
be careful,ive seen plenty of story of people getting ripped off on ebay from fake items. not sure why anyone would fake an old book though.
There are people who will pay very large amounts of money for very old books. Antiquities is a tricky but profitable field for forgery.
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2011/07/16 04:58:18
Subject: Finding the Age of a Book
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Phanobi
oh,you know. in a basement...cooking ponies into cupcakes....
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LordofHats wrote:lord commissar klimino wrote:infinite_array wrote:Thank you!
The thing was, I found an item on eBay.co.uk with the description of a book much like mine, but volume IV in the series. The person selling it claimed it to have been published around 1830 - so if it's part of the same publishing series, I'd be happy to buy it.
be careful,ive seen plenty of story of people getting ripped off on ebay from fake items. not sure why anyone would fake an old book though.
There are people who will pay very large amounts of money for very old books. Antiquities is a tricky but profitable field for forgery.
that makes since. more since than the air guitar being nothing but air.....
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Deathshead420 wrote:As your leader, I encourage you, from time to time and always in a respectful manner, to question my logic. If you're unconvinced a particular plan of action I've decided is the wisest, tell me so! But allow me to convince you. And I promise you, right here and now, no subject will ever be taboo … except, of course, the subject that was just under discussion. The price you pay for bringing up either my Chinese or American heritage as a negative is – I collect your f g head. [Holds up Tanaka's head] Just like this f r here. Now, if any of you sons of bitches got anything else to say, now's the f g time! [Pause] I didn't think so.
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2011/07/16 05:03:46
Subject: Re:Finding the Age of a Book
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Longtime Dakkanaut
Maryland
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Heh. Yes, I'm always wary of eBay sellers...
But when the eBay seller in question has a 100% positive review score, with over 14,000 review, I think he's pretty trustworthy, eh? 
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This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2011/07/16 05:03:58
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2011/07/16 05:06:59
Subject: Re:Finding the Age of a Book
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Phanobi
oh,you know. in a basement...cooking ponies into cupcakes....
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infinite_array wrote:Heh. Yes, I'm always wary of eBay sellers...
But when the eBay seller in question has a 100% positive review score, with over 14,000 review, I think he's pretty trustworthy, eh?
unless he went and made 14,000 accounts!!! conspiracy's!
but on topic,i agree,get both books verified.
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Deathshead420 wrote:As your leader, I encourage you, from time to time and always in a respectful manner, to question my logic. If you're unconvinced a particular plan of action I've decided is the wisest, tell me so! But allow me to convince you. And I promise you, right here and now, no subject will ever be taboo … except, of course, the subject that was just under discussion. The price you pay for bringing up either my Chinese or American heritage as a negative is – I collect your f g head. [Holds up Tanaka's head] Just like this f r here. Now, if any of you sons of bitches got anything else to say, now's the f g time! [Pause] I didn't think so.
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2011/07/16 05:08:05
Subject: Finding the Age of a Book
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Secret Force Behind the Rise of the Tau
USA
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Ah I forgot. It's also possible not all volumes were published at once. Books with volumes originally came about as a work published incrementally over time, so Volume 1 could be a few years older than the next so on and so forth.
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2011/07/16 05:17:48
Subject: Re:Finding the Age of a Book
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Longtime Dakkanaut
Maryland
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lord commissar klimino wrote:infinite_array wrote:Heh. Yes, I'm always wary of eBay sellers...
But when the eBay seller in question has a 100% positive review score, with over 14,000 review, I think he's pretty trustworthy, eh?
unless he went and made 14,000 accounts!!! conspiracy's!
but on topic,i agree,get both books verified.
So, you're suggesting I pick up the book, and then have it verified?
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2011/07/16 05:19:48
Subject: Re:Finding the Age of a Book
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Phanobi
oh,you know. in a basement...cooking ponies into cupcakes....
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infinite_array wrote:lord commissar klimino wrote:infinite_array wrote:Heh. Yes, I'm always wary of eBay sellers...
But when the eBay seller in question has a 100% positive review score, with over 14,000 review, I think he's pretty trustworthy, eh?
unless he went and made 14,000 accounts!!! conspiracy's!
but on topic,i agree,get both books verified.
So, you're suggesting I pick up the book, and then have it verified?
if you can get it verified before hand,do it.if not then yes.even if its not really an old book,at least you will have gotten something to read.
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Deathshead420 wrote:As your leader, I encourage you, from time to time and always in a respectful manner, to question my logic. If you're unconvinced a particular plan of action I've decided is the wisest, tell me so! But allow me to convince you. And I promise you, right here and now, no subject will ever be taboo … except, of course, the subject that was just under discussion. The price you pay for bringing up either my Chinese or American heritage as a negative is – I collect your f g head. [Holds up Tanaka's head] Just like this f r here. Now, if any of you sons of bitches got anything else to say, now's the f g time! [Pause] I didn't think so.
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2011/07/16 05:26:34
Subject: Finding the Age of a Book
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Longtime Dakkanaut
Maryland
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Great!
Now I'll just have to find Volumes II, III, V, and VI!
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2011/07/16 19:10:16
Subject: Re:Finding the Age of a Book
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Decrepit Dakkanaut
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I can attest to the age of some books fooling you. Ive got probably 10 books that are all around 100+ years old, and Id say 3 of them look brand new, compared to the others that range from looking old, to being so brittle if you sigh to hard the pages crumble, and thats no joke, and my collection like I said are all fairly close in age.
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