OCKLEY, Simon, The History Of The Saracens: Containing The Lives Of Abubeker, Omar, Othman, Ali, Hasan, Moawiyah I, Yezid I, Moawiyah II, Abdollah, Merwan I, and Abdol Melick, the immediate Successors of Mahomet, Giving An Account of their most remarkable Battles, sieges &c. particularly those of Aleppo, Antioch, Damascus, Alexandria, and Jerusalem. Illustrating The Religion, Rites, Customs and Manner of Living of that Warlike People., Printed for R. Knaplock, J. Sprint, R. Smith, B. Lintott, and J. Round. , 1718

8vo. Vol 1: xxiv,[4],391,[21]p. Vol 2: [4], xcv [i.e.lxxv], [1], 387, [1]; [12], 19, [21]p. Pages lxii-lxxv in volume two are misnumbered lxxxii-xcv. Contemporary, panelled calf w/blind stamped decorations. Rebacked spine in like-brown leather. Matching blind stamped decorations to spine, five raised bands and black/green labels w/gilt title. Original endpapers. Both volumes complete. Discrete ownership inscription dated 1794 on front end paper and title page of both volumes. Upper margin of both title pages has been very neatly trimmed, though content has not suffered any loss. Bookplate present on FEP of first volume. Faint edge tanning to end papers of both volumes. The ink on some pages has bled and left a mirrored impression on the opposing page. Overall in very good condition, bright clean and legible throughout. Second Greatly Enlarged Edition, marking the first appearance of Volume II. The first volume was originally published as The Conquest of Syria, Persia, and Egypt by the Saracens in 1708. So then, first volume in second edition state, second volume in first edition state. The work was based upon a manuscript in the Bodleian Library which was initially ascribed to the Arabic historian El-W?kidi, with additions from other sources. However the manuscript was later proved to be a work of dubious historical accuracy. “But, although many of its details require correction, the importance of Ockley’s work in relation to the progress of oriental studies cannot be overestimated. Following in the steps of Pocock’s famous Specimen Historiae Arabum, but adopting a popular method, and recommending it by an admirable English style, Ockley for the first time made the history of the early Saracen conquests attractive to the general reader, and stimulated the student to further research. With all its inaccuracies, Ockley’s History of the Saracens became a secondary classic, and formed for generations the main source of the average notions of early Mohammedan history. Gibbon did not disdain to use it freely.” (DNB) The work earned for Ockley the chair of Arabic at Cambridge in 1711.