1884 First American Edition - The Story of Chinese Gordon by A. Egmont Hake 1884年美首版《中國戈登的故事》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.

本書為 1884 年由紐約 R. Worthington 出版社發行的 《中國戈登的故事》（The Story of Chinese Gordon），作者為英國著名作家、戈登將軍的表親阿爾弗雷德·埃格蒙特·黑克（A. Egmont Hake），並由休·克雷格（Hugh Craig）增補編纂。

全書重點紀錄了維多利亞時代著名英國將領「常勝將軍」查理·喬治·戈登（Charles George Gordon，1833–1885）的傳奇一生。書中以大量篇幅詳述了他於 1860 年代在中國指揮「常勝軍」配合清軍鎮壓太平天國運動的過程、獲清政府賞賜提督銜與黃馬褂的經過，以及其後在埃及與蘇丹的軍事生涯。

封面金色中國龍： 封面為原始棕色布面精裝，中央燙印有一條十分搶眼的金色中國巨龍（Gilt Dragon），搭配黑字哥特體書名，展現濃厚的 19 世紀東方主義風格。

珍貴歷史插圖： 內含戈登將軍身著清朝官服的經典黑白版畫插圖（Portrait of Gordon as a Mandarin）及扉頁肖像（附硫酸紙/薄紙保護）。

太平天國與晚清外交軍事史重要文獻： 出版於 1884 年（即戈登於喀土穆圍城戰陣亡前夕），是西方社會在 19 世紀末瞭解清末中國局勢、太平天國戰爭及中英關係的最直接同時代史料之一。

 收藏價值： 本書因其獨特的封面「金龍」圖案以及內頁收錄的清朝官服肖像，長久以來一直是晚清史、西洋漢學及維多利亞軍事史收藏家喜愛的古籍標的。

書況說明

 外觀與裝訂： 原始棕色布面精裝。書脊及四角有自然歲月磨損、擦痕與褪色。封面金色龍紋依然維持不錯的金色光澤。

 內頁狀況： 前襯頁黑色紙張右下角有破損缺失；扉頁及內頁有 19 世紀古書常見的自然氧化黃斑（Foxing）及歲月痕跡；裝訂整體完整，文字與插圖均清晰可讀。

 整體評級： 尚可至良好（Fair to Good，1884 年原版古籍自然歲月品相）。