DICKENS, Charles (1812–1870). [Christmas Books]. London, 1843–1848. 5 volumes, 8vo (165 x 102 mm). Comprising: A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. London: [Bradbury and Evans for] Chapman & Hall, 1843. Half–title printed in blue, title printed in red and blue, verso printed in blue. Hand–colored etched frontispiece and 3 plates by and after John Leech, 4 woodcut illustrations by W. J. Linton after Leech; 2–pp. publisher’s ads at rear. (Very occasionally a trifle bit of minor spotting to text). FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE with the uncorrected “Stave 1” as the first chapter heading, the balance of the text uncorrected. FIRST ISSUE COVERS RETAINED (brown cloth stamped in gilt with gilt titling inside a central gilt wreath framed in a blind tooled foliage border) with the closest interval between blind–stamping left margin and left extremity of gilt wreath measuring 14 mm and with unbroken “D” in Dickens. –– The Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In. London: [Bradbury and Evans for:] Chapman & Hall, 1845 [but 1844]. Half–title, additional vignette title. FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE vignette titlepage with “Chapman & Hall” printed within the cloud. –– The Cricket on the Hearth. A Fairy Tale of Home. London: Bradbury & Evans for the Author, 1846 [but 1845]. Half–title, additional vignette title. FIRST EDITION, FIRST STATE with the two–line italic heading for Oliver Twist on p. 175 of the publisher’s ads. –– The Battle of Life. A Love Story. London: Bradbury and Evans, 1846. Half–title, additional vignette title. FIRST EDITION, third state vignette titlepage (Todd D, Eckel 3). –– The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain. A Fancy for Christmas–Time. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1848. Additional vignette title. FIRST EDITION of Dickens’ last Christmas Book. –– Together, 5 works in 5 volumes, being A COMPLETE SET OF THE CHRISTMAS BOOKS. Each finely bound in crushed red niger, upper covers each with various color morocco inlays depicting a Dickens character from its corresponding work, 5 raised bands, compartments gilt, all edges gilt, gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers, stamp–signed by Henry Sotheran. Each with original cloth covers retained and bound at rears. Together illustrated with 65 engravings and designs by various artists, all with publisher’s ads. ALL FIRST EDITIONS, INCLUDING A FIRST ISSUE OF “A CHRISTMAS CAROL” that is regarded as Dickens’ most widely read novel and considered to be “the greatest Christmas book ever written in any language” (Eckel p. 116), selling more than 6000 copies in the few days leading up to Christmas. The work was extravagantly costly as Dickens for the first time (and incidentally his last) used color in the tile page and etchings as he wanted to make the book a beautiful gift and to be a celebration of the Christmas spirit. After the initial success, Dickens continued the series throughout the 1840s, maintaining “the Carol” philosophy to “strike a sledgehammer blow” for the poor, uneducated, and repressed. A FINE SET. Eckel pp. 110–125; Smith II:4–6, 8–9.