CUSTINE (Astolphe de) Russia in 1839. Second edition, revised, corrected and enlarged, Paris: Librairie d'Amyot, 1843. 4 volumes in-18, black half-chagrin, decorated spine, speckled edges (period binding). In French in the text", 262. Rare second edition, published the same year as the original, of this fundamental work on Russia by writer Astolphe de Custine (1790-1857), the result of his three-month trip to Russia and his extensive reading. Written between 1840 and 1842, it paints an uncompromising picture of early 19th-century Russia, touching on recurring themes in its political history, such as absolute power, the absence of institutional checks and balances, the subjugation of elites and people alike, violence and lies as instruments of power, and the low value placed on human life. His reflections are still remarkably relevant today. "Not content with denouncing the Russian peril, he foresees the capitulation of Western mediocracies, drunk as they are on pacifism, material and moral comfort, rhetoric and publicity" ("En français dans le texte"). A copy complete with fold-out genealogical chart of the princes and princesses of Brunswick. A well-preserved copy in contemporary binding, despite slightly dulled corners and some foxing.