First edition, first printing hardcover, which is in fine condition. Please see photos. Seller will carefully wrap book in bubble wrap, box it, and ship it with tracking. n 1836 the United States government received a strange and unprecedented gift―a half-million dollar bequest to establish a foundation in Washington "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." The Smithsonian Institution, as it would be called, eventually grew into the largest museum and research complex in the world. Yet the man behind what became "America's attic," James Smithson, has remained a shadowy figure for more than 150 years.Drawing on unpublished diaries and letters from across Europe and the United States, historian Heather Ewing tells his compelling story in full. The illegitimate son of the Duke of Northumberland, Smithson was the youngest member of Britain's Royal Society and a talented chemist admired by the greatest scientists of his age. At the same time, however, he was also a suspected spy, an inveterate gambler, and a radical revolutionary during the turbulent years of the Napoleonic Wars. But at the heart of Smithson's story is his bequest―worth $9 million in today in today's currency―which sparked an international lawsuit and a decade-long congressional battle, featuring a dizzying cast of historical figures, including John Quincy Adams, and Alexander Graham Bell, both of whom grappled with how―and even whether―to put Smithson's endowment to use.Fascinating and ...

ISBN10: 1596910291, ISBN13: 9781596910294, [publisher: Bloomsbury USA April 3, 2007, New York] Hardcover First Edition [New York]: Bloomsbury 2007. Hardcover. 1596910291 . First US edition. This copy has been inscribed, signed and dated in the year of issue ["April 2007"] by the author on the title page. 432+ pages, illustrated [including maps], appendix: genealogy chart, notes, picture credits, acknowledgments, index. Near Fine copy very light spine end bumping in fine jacket. See photos clphE
[North Providence, RI, U.S.A.] [Publication Year: 2007]
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Bloomsbury USA, April Date: 2007. Hardcover. Used - Very Good. 2007. Bloomsbury USA ISBN 1596910291 9781596910294 [US]

ISBN10: 1596910291, ISBN13: 9781596910294, [publisher: Bloomsbury USA] Hardcover First Edition First Edition. First Printing. Very Good in Very Good unclipped dust jacket. Gently used with NO markings in text; binding is tight. Pasadena's finest independent new and used bookstore.
[Pasadena, CA, U.S.A.] [Publication Year: 2007]

ISBN10: 1596910291, ISBN13: 9781596910294, [publisher: Bloomsbury USA] Hardcover First Edition The story of James Smithson and his mysterious bequest to found in Washington, DC, "an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men". This is a used book. Pages are clean and bright with no markings, notes, or highlighting. DJ shows only minor shelf wear with no rubbing or soiling and is not price clipped. No owner's marks or bookplates, not ex-library. Binding is tight and square with no fading on boards. Corners not bumped. An excellent reading copy.
[Potomac, MD, U.S.A.] [Publication Year: 2007]

ISBN10: 1596910291, ISBN13: 9781596910294, [publisher: Bloomsbury USA April 2007] Hardcover
[Bozeman, MT, U.S.A.] [Publication Year: 2007]

ISBN10: 1596910291, ISBN13: 9781596910294, [publisher: Bloomsbury USA] Hardcover Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾"
[Vashon, WA, U.S.A.] [Publication Year: 2007]

Bloomsbury USA 2007 1st Printing. Hardcover Good in Very Good jacket Ex-Library Ex-library copy with no library pocket and few librry marks in book. us hist.

ISBN10: 1596910291, ISBN13: 9781596910294, [publisher: Bloomsbury USA] Hardcover 2007. Hardcover. Cloth, d.j. Some shelf-wear. Else clean copy. Very Good.
[Chicago, IL, U.S.A.] [Publication Year: 2007]