The Champion, A Weekly Political and Literary Journal, for the Year 1814 (comprising the full year's weekly issues with index). An exceptional, complete full-year run of this influential Regency-era weekly journal, capturing one of the most tumultuous and defining years in European history. 52 issues in total.
Published by John Scott at the Office of The Champion, No. 1, Catherine Street, Strand.
London, 1814.
1814 was a pivotal watershed year in geopolitical history, and The Champion provides a fascinating, immediate look at these monumental events as they unfolded. Under the editorship of the brilliant but tragic John Scott (who was later killed in a duel arising from a literary feud with Blackwood's Magazine), the journal was celebrated for its independent politics and high literary standards.
Key contents covered in this volume include:
The fall of Napoleon Bonaparte: Detailed contemporary reports on the invasion of France by the Allied powers, the entry into Paris, Napoleon's abdication, and his subsequent exile to the island of Elba.
The War of 1812 & Congress of Vienna: Original accounts of the ongoing conflict with the United States (including the Battle of Lake Champlain and the burning of Washington) alongside the diplomatic restructuring of Europe.
The Corn Laws: Extensive political commentary, essays, and debates surrounding the controversial Corn Laws and their impact on the British agricultural and commercial sectors.
Cultural & Literary Reviews: A rich record of Regency-era theatre, art exhibitions, poetry, and book reviews, preserving the cultural fabric of London during the period.
Binding: Beautifully and professionally bound in modern half tan calf over blue-and-white swirled marbled paper boards. The spine features raised bands highlighted by elegant blind-tooling, with clean, crisp gilt-lettered titles reading THE CHAMPION and 1814.
Tax stamps: Features authentic, red-ink struck British newspaper tax stamps on individual issues (showing the "three pence ha'penny" stamp duty), proving its genuine postal circulation and distribution during the Regency era.
Condition: The text block remains solid and firmly bound. The title page and early leaves show some light, expected age-toning and scattered foxing appropriate for early 19th-century rag paper, but the text remains clear, legible, and crisp throughout.
- Jacket Condition: Very good
- Binding Condition: Very good
- Overall Condition: Very good
- Size: Slim Folio 39.5cm x 27cm
