A Chinese Biographical Dictionary -
Herbert A. Giles
1898 - Bernard Quaritch and Kelly &, London and Shanghai - First Single Volume Edition
A rare example of this classic work by the British diplomat, Chinese scholar Herbert Giles, the first edition in one volume, previously published in two volumes between 1897 and 1898. Elegantly bound in contemporary full morocco.
A massive undertaking, and the first of its kind, with 2,579 entries from the whole of Chinese history, and 40 triple-column pages of a Chinese and romanized Index prepared by Giles’ wife. Herbert Allen Giles [1845-1935] was a British diplomat and sinologist. He spent a quarter of a century in the Consular Service in China, and whose life's endeavour was to make the Chinese language and culture accessible to as many of his countrymen as possible. He published some sixty books and pamphlets, an equal number of journal articles and book re views, and was a prolific contributor to newspapers. His works include a Chinese-English Dictionary which for many years was a standard work, the first general histories of Chinese literature and Chinese art, pioneering reference works which set new standards of accuracy, and translations, many still not superseded, which cover an astonishingly wide range of poetry and prose, philosophy and religion.
In addition to Giles’ scholarly activity, he was an outspoken controversialist, with strongly held an d fearlessly expressed views on matters which are still of concern to day, such as opium addiction, female infanticide and Christian evangelism in China. Giles and Thomas Wade co-created the well known and widely used Wade-Giles phonetic system for rendering Chinese proper names into English. In 1897, Giles became only the second professor of Chinese appointed at the University of Cambridge.
Giles, in his memoirs for 1897, writes ‘The first half of my Chinese Biographical Dictionary was published in 1897, and the second half early in 1898. It ran to pp.xii + 1022, and contained lives of 2579 eminent Chinese statesmen, soldiers, poets, historians, scoundrels, etc., including about 40 triple-column pages of a Chinese and romanized Index prepared by my wife. The estimates given me in England reached such a high figure that I was compelled to have the book printed on the Continent, by E. J. Brill and CO.,187 who have since done a great deal of good work on my behalf. This work had a very favourable reception, and was laureated by the French Academy with the much-coveted "Prix Stanislas Julien"; it also brought me an approving postcard from Gladstone’. ‘The publication of the second part of my Chinese Biographical Dictionary in this year completed the work, which was carried through at my own risk and expense and towards which the Foreign Office declined to make any contribution.
Personally, I have the effrontery to believe that my Dictionary and Biographical Dictionary have together placed the study of Chinese on a totally different basis from that on which it formerly stood: and first and last I have received a vast number of private letters to this effect, fully satisfying any ambitions with which I may have set out.‘
Provenance: With numerous pencil remarks and highlights throughout text, and some notes to rear in pencil.
References: Charles Aylmer, The Memoirs of H. A. Giles, East Asian History 13/14, 1997, ANU. Cordier, Bibliotheca Sinica, 666.
Large octavo (binding size 25.4x18cm), pp. [2] xii 1022 [4]. Bound in contemporary full orange-tan morocco, spine lettered in gilt and ruled in gilt and blind, boards bordered with single blind and gilt filet with gilt points, matching turn-ins, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Condition: Very good, small tear to outer edge of toned title page with archival repair, pages 935-938 loose (had not been bound in), in very good binding, water stain to lower corner of front board, some marks, spine faded, light rubbing to edges and corners. Ref: 112173 Price: HK$ 9,800
A massive undertaking, and the first of its kind, with 2,579 entries from the whole of Chinese history, and 40 triple-column pages of a Chinese and romanized Index prepared by Giles’ wife. Herbert Allen Giles [1845-1935] was a British diplomat and sinologist. He spent a quarter of a century in the Consular Service in China, and whose life's endeavour was to make the Chinese language and culture accessible to as many of his countrymen as possible. He published some sixty books and pamphlets, an equal number of journal articles and book re views, and was a prolific contributor to newspapers. His works include a Chinese-English Dictionary which for many years was a standard work, the first general histories of Chinese literature and Chinese art, pioneering reference works which set new standards of accuracy, and translations, many still not superseded, which cover an astonishingly wide range of poetry and prose, philosophy and religion.
In addition to Giles’ scholarly activity, he was an outspoken controversialist, with strongly held an d fearlessly expressed views on matters which are still of concern to day, such as opium addiction, female infanticide and Christian evangelism in China. Giles and Thomas Wade co-created the well known and widely used Wade-Giles phonetic system for rendering Chinese proper names into English. In 1897, Giles became only the second professor of Chinese appointed at the University of Cambridge.
Giles, in his memoirs for 1897, writes ‘The first half of my Chinese Biographical Dictionary was published in 1897, and the second half early in 1898. It ran to pp.xii + 1022, and contained lives of 2579 eminent Chinese statesmen, soldiers, poets, historians, scoundrels, etc., including about 40 triple-column pages of a Chinese and romanized Index prepared by my wife. The estimates given me in England reached such a high figure that I was compelled to have the book printed on the Continent, by E. J. Brill and CO.,187 who have since done a great deal of good work on my behalf. This work had a very favourable reception, and was laureated by the French Academy with the much-coveted "Prix Stanislas Julien"; it also brought me an approving postcard from Gladstone’. ‘The publication of the second part of my Chinese Biographical Dictionary in this year completed the work, which was carried through at my own risk and expense and towards which the Foreign Office declined to make any contribution.
Personally, I have the effrontery to believe that my Dictionary and Biographical Dictionary have together placed the study of Chinese on a totally different basis from that on which it formerly stood: and first and last I have received a vast number of private letters to this effect, fully satisfying any ambitions with which I may have set out.‘
Provenance: With numerous pencil remarks and highlights throughout text, and some notes to rear in pencil.
References: Charles Aylmer, The Memoirs of H. A. Giles, East Asian History 13/14, 1997, ANU. Cordier, Bibliotheca Sinica, 666.
Large octavo (binding size 25.4x18cm), pp. [2] xii 1022 [4]. Bound in contemporary full orange-tan morocco, spine lettered in gilt and ruled in gilt and blind, boards bordered with single blind and gilt filet with gilt points, matching turn-ins, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Condition: Very good, small tear to outer edge of toned title page with archival repair, pages 935-938 loose (had not been bound in), in very good binding, water stain to lower corner of front board, some marks, spine faded, light rubbing to edges and corners. Ref: 112173 Price: HK$ 9,800