LA HARPE, Jean-François de.

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Abrégé de l'Histoire Générale des Voyages, First edition, based on Prévost's collection of voyage narratives, supplemented with the travels of Cook and Wallis. According to Sabin, "the fidelity of the narration, the striking details of adventure, and the lively pictures of manners, etc, it presents, will always give it a peculiar and lasting merit".La Harpe (1739-1803) was a playwright, writer, and critic who became famous with his first play, Le Comte de Warwick, in 1763. He began to correspond with Voltaire and move in French literary circles, although was quickly ostracised for his overly caustic criticisms of others' works. His success never eclipsed his first play, and most of his writings are now unknown.Abrégé de l'Histoire Générale des Voyages was La Harpe's attempt to update and abridge the Abbé Prévost's well-known Histoire générale des voyages (1746-1759), which he viewed as difficult to read. The collection features all the early travels to America, including Columbus, Cortés, and Pizarro, as well as Vasco da Gama's journeys to India, and a large selection of travel narratives through Africa.La Harpe published 21 volumes in 1780. By 1804, a further 23 volumes had been released by other authors, as well as a folio atlas. His additions include the first two of Cook's voyages.

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