The Light of Asia

"The Light of Asia" is an epic poem about Buddhism, written in the 19th century by the British poet Sir Edwin Arnold.

After his education he spent time in India where he gathered material for what would become his best-known work, a poem describing the life of the founder of Buddhism. It was originally published in 1879 and here we have the 1892 edition. It consists of eight "books" (chapters) and has a scattering of illustrations throughout the text.

Title: The Light of Asia
Author: Sir Edwin Arnold
Publisher: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, & Co., LTD
Publication Year: 1892
Pages: 240 plus 4 pages of descriptions of other books.

This book has the most gorgeous cover, with gilt floral illustration on the spine and on the front and back boards. The boards themselves are dark brown with more floral illustration in a lighter shade of brown. The edges of the text block are also gilt.

The top and bottom of the spine are worn, with a very small tear in the top of the spine. The corners of the boards are a little bent and there is a small dent (less than a centimetre) about halfway down the middle of the front board. The spine is in okay condition with some cracking in places, the binding is secure and all pages are present.

Overall photos cannot do justice to this book. For its age it is in good condition, and will make a lovely addition to any bookshelf.