1884年美首版《中国戈登的故事》A. Egmont Hake著

Published in 1884 by R. Worthington, New York, The Story of Chinese Gordon is the classic late-19th-century biography of Major-General Charles George "Chinese" Gordon (1833–1885). Written by his cousin A. Egmont Hake with additions by Hugh Craig, M.A., this work was released at the height of Gordon’s fame during the British imperial era.

The book chronicles Gordon’s legendary military career, focusing extensively on his command of the "Ever Victorious Army" during the Taiping Rebellion in China. It documents his battles alongside Qing imperial forces, his relationship with Li Hongzhang, his appointment as a Chinese Brigadier-General (Tsung-Ping), and his subsequent campaigns in Egypt and the Sudan.

Features of This Copy:

 Iconic Binding: Original brown cloth decorated with a bold, bright gilt-stamped Chinese dragon on the front cover and ornate black Gothic lettering.

 Illustrations: Includes the portrait frontispiece with protective tissue guard and the famous full-page plate depicting "Portrait of Gordon as a Mandarin" wearing traditional Qing Dynasty imperial robes.

📜 Historical Significance & Provenance

 Victorian Imperial & Chinese History Classic: Published just months before Gordon’s dramatic death at the Siege of Khartoum in 1885, this contemporary account provides firsthand insight into 19th-century Western perspectives on China's Taiping Rebellion and Sino-British military relations.

 A Desirable Collector's Item: Highly sought after by collectors of 19th-century Sinology, Taiping Rebellion history, and Victorian military biographies.

🔍 Condition Report

 Binding & Exterior: Original brown cloth over heavy boards. Moderate edge wear and rubbing to corners and spine extremities. Spine displays scuffing and darkening with wear to the title gilding. Front cover retains good color with the gilt dragon still bright and recognizable.

 Interior: Front pastedown black endpaper exhibits a tear/loss at the bottom right corner. Pages show age-appropriate foxing/spotting throughout, primarily concentrated on preliminary pages and tissue guard. Text block and plates remain fully attached and legible.

 Overall Grade: Fair to Good (F/G) antique condition.

本书为 1884 年由纽约 R. Worthington 出版社发行的 《中国戈登的故事》（The Story of Chinese Gordon），作者为英国著名作家、戈登将军的表亲阿弗烈·埃格蒙特·黑克（A. Egmont Hake），并由休·克雷格（Hugh Craig）增补编纂。

全书重点纪录了维多利亚时代著名英国将领「常胜将军」查理·乔治·戈登（Charles George Gordon，1833–1885）的传奇一生。书中以大量篇幅详述了他于 1860 年代在中国指挥「常胜军」配合清军镇压太平天国运动的经过、获清政府赏赐提督衔与黄马褂的经过，以及其后在埃及与苏丹的军事生涯。

封面金色中国龙： 封面为原始棕色布面精装，中央烫印有一条十分抢眼的金色中国巨龙（Gilt Dragon），搭配黑字哥特体书名，展现浓厚的 19 世纪东方主义风格。

珍贵历史插图： 内含戈登将军身著清朝官服的经典黑白版画插图（Portrait of Gordon as a Mandarin）及扉页肖像（附硫酸纸/薄纸保护）。

太平天国与晚清外交军事史重要文献： 出版于 1884 年（即戈登于喀土穆围城战阵亡前夕），是西方社会在 19 世纪末了解清末中国局势、太平天国战争及中英关系的最直接同时代史料之一。

 收藏价值： 本书因其独特的封面「金龙」图案以及内页收录的清朝官服肖像，长久以来一直是晚清史、西洋汉学及维多利亚军事史收藏家喜爱的古籍标的。

书况说明

 外观与装订： 原始棕色布面精装。书脊及四角有自然岁月磨损、擦痕与褪色。封面金色龙纹依然维持不错的金色光泽。

 内页状况： 前衬页黑色纸张右下角有破損缺失；扉页及内页有 19 世纪古书常见的自然氧化黄斑（Foxing）及岁月痕迹；装订整体完整，文字与插图均清晰可读。

 整体评级： 尚可至良好（Fair to Good，1884 年原版古籍自然岁月品相）。