CHINA. WILSON, ANDREW.: The 'Ever -Victorious Army'. A History of the Chinese Campaign under Lt Col C G Gordon, C.B. R.E. and of the suppression of the Tai-ping Rebellion.

London, William Blackwood and son, 1868.

8vo, pp xxxii, 395, [1, advert], half title, 6 folding maps, original red cloth, slightly marked lower joint neatly repaired, else a very good sound clean copy throughout,

FIRST EDITION; The son of a well-known Scottish missionary Andrew Wilson was a hardened traveller in the Far East by the time of this, his most important publication. As a journalist he edited the 'China News' for three years after 1860, and issued pamphlet on British policy from Hong Kong. He regularly contributed articles to Blackwood's Magazine, and this account of Gordon's suppression of the Tai Ping Rebellion of 1863-64 was, in part based on such already published articles, with much new material taken from Lt Col C G Gordon's personal journals, then, of course, unpublished. The Chinese civil war, commonly called the Taiping Rebellion, actually lasted fourteen years and resulted in millions of death, but General Gordon's part in it, leading, with his officers, a band of Chinese soldiers against almost impossible odds, led to his nickname 'Chinese Gordon. ' very good copy of a scarce and well-written account of an interesting episode in Chinese history. £300.00