6 volumes. Steel engraved plates by Nathaniel Whittock. (8vo) 21x13.5 cm (8¼x5¼") old half calf and marbled boards, spines ruled in gilt, morocco lettering pieces. First octavo edition.

Allen' s "books were almost all published in several parts, to satisfy the demand for cheap, illustrated topographies from a public eager for historical details enlivened by romantic and picturesque scenery. He was an industrious compiler, although even his Gentleman's Magazine obituarist, a former collaborator, admitted that accuracy was often sacrificed to speed. Similarly, his illustrations were neat rather than inspired. His History of York, for example, was described in 1869 as a ‘catchpenny work’ by the Yorkshire bibliographer William Boyne... However, Allen's works were no worse than many other contemporary popular histories, and his Lincoln was thought worthy of reprinting in 1995." - DNB.