Description
Author: A. E. Taylor
Publisher: The Dial Press, Inc.
Place: New York
Year: 1936
Edition: New Edition, January 1936
Format: Hardcover; dark blue cloth with gilt spine lettering and blind-stamped publisher’s device
Page Count: 532 pages
Condition: Good, with a very attractive exterior. Original dark blue cloth remains well preserved, with light shelf wear, minor rubbing, and some wear at the spine ends. Gilt spine lettering remains bright and readable. The front inner hinge shows cracking and has been carefully reinforced with professional acid-free book-repair material; the front cover remains attached. Interior pages are clean and gently age-toned. No dust jacket.
Description:
A substantial vintage edition of A. E. Taylor’s landmark study of Plato, published by The Dial Press in 1936. Taylor combines an account of Plato’s life and intellectual world with a detailed examination of the individual dialogues, making this both an introduction to Platonic philosophy and an enduring work of classical scholarship.
Taylor explores Plato’s understanding of knowledge, virtue, politics, the soul, reality, and the ideal state while placing his ideas within the philosophical life of ancient Athens. First published in 1926, the work became one of the most influential English-language studies of Plato in the twentieth century.
This copy is especially appealing for its understated dark blue cloth binding, gilt spine lettering, and handsome blind-stamped device on the front board. Despite the carefully reinforced front hinge, it presents beautifully on the shelf and retains the dignified appearance of a serious prewar scholarly volume.
Why we love this book:
This is the kind of quietly elegant scholarly book that makes an old library feel complete. Nearly ninety years after its publication, Taylor’s study remains respected, readable, and historically important. The restrained blue-and-gold binding makes this an attractive choice for a philosopher, classicist, student, or collector of vintage intellectual history.