Ha-Milchama we-Ha-Mazor. La Guerre Franco-Allemande et Les Deux Sieges de Paris (1870-71) / Ha-Milhamah veha-Matsor. Ve-hi Lahat ha-Herev ha-Mithapekhet ben Tsarefat Ve-Ashkenaz ve-Sikhsukhe Tsarefatim be-Tsarefatim (The War and the Siege. The Franco-Prussian War and the Two Sieges of Paris, 1870-1871) [EARLY SECULAR HISTORICAL MONOGRAPH IN HEBREW] (INSCRIBED & SIGNED)
Amsterdam: Levisson Freres/ Ha-Ahim Levisson, 1878. First edition. Hardcover. Large octavo. [24] 178pp. [2]. Period 3/4 brown pebbled buckram over marbled paper boards, with gilt lettering and ruling on the spine. Separate Hebrew and French title pages. Inscribed and signed by the author in ink at the top of the half-title. This scarce work, the second published by Yitzhak Isaac Roller (1832-1900), discusses the history of the Franco-Prussian War and the Sieges of Paris, including the author's firsthand recollections of the events, in detail as he experienced them. The text is notable as an early example of secular writing in Hebrew, on a subject of contemporary history. It can be assumed that this was the very first work in Hebrew on the subject. The author states in the preface that his aim was to write on the subject using the poetic language of Biblical Hebrew (including the addition of a few contemporary expressions). To this goal he choose to publish and print the book in Amsterdam, in order to take advantage of the city's long and storied history of Hebrew printing.
The initial unpaginated section contains an extensive list of subscribers for the author first book, showing his appreciation for their previous support, in French. Also included is a preface and dedication of the book to his deceased children (in both Hebrew and French). The rest of the text is solely printed in Hebrew. Includes a few reproductions of original documents from the period. The final pages contains 2 pages of errata in Hebrew.
Binding with some light sunning and rubbing to extremities. Minor scratches to the covers, with a small abrasion on the front cover. Some foxing and water stains to the edges of the book block, interior covers, endpapers, and first and last pages. Sporadic minor to light water stains to a number of additional pages throughout. Book block tight. Binding in very good, interior in very good- condition overall. vg- to vg. Item #50373
Hebrew title: המלחמה והמצור. והיא להט החרב המתהפכת בין צרפת ואשכנז וסכסוכי צרפתים בצרפתים
Author: ראָללער, יצחק אייזק
Publication: אמסטרדם, בדפוס האחים לעוויססאן, תרל"ח
Yitzhak Isaac Roller (1832-1900) was an early Hebrew writer, Jewish scholar and linguist. Born in Yaburov, Galicia he later settled in Paris. His first work was an examination of the Sarcophagus of Eshmunazar II of Sidon (1875). His work translating the Phoenician text on the sarcophagus, was acclaimed in Parisian academic circles and started him on his career as a writer, and he was invited to become a member of the Societe Asiatique de Paris (The Asian Society of Paris). Roller would go on write a number of other works of Biblical scholarship.
Price: $950.00