IRELAND, William Henry. The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte. Illustrated by George Cruikshank. Extra-Illustrated Edition Extended to Eight Volumes. London: G. Berger, 1828.

Format & Size: 8 volumes, Octavo (8.5"x5.5").

Binding: Masterfully bound by Bayntun (Bath, England) in full crushed scarlet-red Morocco.  Covers feature ornate gilt-ruled borders enclosing four-corner Napoleonic motifs (imperial eagles and bees). Spines feature raised bands with gilt-lettered compartments and lavish Napoleonic emblems (crowned monogram "N" enclosed in laurel wreaths, imperial eagles, and bees). Hinges to volume 1 discreetly repaired.

Interior Details: Elaborate gilt-tooled inner dentelles framing rich red watered-silk moiré doublures and endleaves; top edges gilt.

Overview & Extra-Illustration

Originally published in four volumes between 1823 and 1828, this copy represents a premier collector’s example:

Extended to 8 Volumes: Expanded from the standard four-volume format into eight volumes to accommodate extensive extra-illustrations.

Plates & Engravings: Features George Cruikshank’s renowned suite of folding hand-colored aquatint plates and engravings depicting Napoleon’s military campaigns, life, and key engagements.

Extra-Illustrated Content: Enriched with 268 additional historic views, battle scenes, maps, and engraved portraits of contemporary figures, marshals, and allied commanders—creating an exhaustive visual compendium of the Napoleonic Era.  Pages are remarkably bright and clean without marks and very little foxing.

Ireland’s Life of Napoleon stands as one of George Cruikshank's definitive biographical achievements. Complete sets in fine bespoke bindings—especially those expanded and extra-illustrated to this degree by a premier English bindery such as Bayntun—remain among the most sought-after Napoleonic display sets in 19th-century color-plate book collecting.