The Shipwreck – William Falconer – 1796 | Full Leather, Engravings

William Falconer was an 18th-century Scottish poet whose poetry focused on marine life and life at sea. His most important work, The Shipwreck, was written in 1762 and gained him instant and immense success. The story follows the adventure on an English ship headed home but was wrecked in Greece. Falconer created this work as an autobiographical account of him being on the ship, and his adventures along with the two other survivors.

This 1796 edition includes four full-page engravings.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Shipwreck
• Author(s): William Falconer
• Publisher: London: printed for T. Cadell, jun. and W. Davies
• Edition: 1796 edition
• Format: (16mo), single volume
• Binding: Full leather
• Size:  6.5 in x 4 in (16.5 cm x 10.2 cm)
• Collation: 167 pp
• Illustrations: 4 engraved plates
• Contents Include:
  • The Shipwreck in full verse
• Provenance: bookplate – Mrs. Baring Gould

Condition:

Very Good. Binding fully restored in leather with tight, secure hinges and text block. Light rubbing to corners. Plates are clean, text pages well-preserved, and overall integrity strong for a book of this age.

Why Collect This?

• 18th-century edition of a major nautical poetic work
• Features four original engraved plates in excellent condition
• Appealing to collectors of maritime history, poetry, and 18th-century literature

Item Number: # 29562