In the original dust jackets.Navy board binding with gilt title on the spine. Dimensions are for one volume.

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Please view our photographs an  the blurb on the inside dust covers. This listing describes three volumes of The Mirage of Power: British Foreign Policy 1902–1914 by C.J. Lowe and M.L. Dockrill, published in 1972 by Routledge & Kegan Paul. Some slight fading on the spine of the red dust jackets but otherwise in excellent and little used condition. These books were part of the private library of a very distinguished academic.

Books Details

The Mirage of Power: British Foreign Policy 1902–1922 (3-Volume Set) by C. J. Lowe and M. L. Dockrill is a classic, highly authoritative work of international history. 

The catalogued information for this specific set is breakdown below:

Bibliographic Overview

• Title: The Mirage of Power: British Foreign Policy 1902–1922
• Authors: C. J. Lowe (Cedric James Lowe) & M. L. Dockrill (Michael L. Dockrill)
• Publisher: Routledge & Kegan Paul
• Publication Date: 1972 (1st Edition)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0710070926 (Note: This specific ISBN corresponds primarily to Volume 1, while the full 3-volume set spans consecutive identifiers, such as 0710070934 for Volume 2 and 0710070942 for Volume 3). 

Physical Details & Condition

• Format: Hardcover set
• Dimensions: Approximately 5.6 x 8.8 x 1.2 inches per volume
• Condition: Good — V. Good. 

Volume Breakdown & Contents

This landmark study is structurally divided into three distinct parts to map out the evolution, tensions, and ultimate limits of British global diplomacy: 

• Volume 1: British Foreign Policy 1902–1914 – Focuses on pre-WWI diplomacy, the end of “splendid isolation,” and the building of the Anglo-French Entente. 
• Volume 2: British Foreign Policy 1914–1922 – Covers wartime alliances, the geopolitical strains of the First World War, and the complex post-war treaties up to the fall of the Lloyd George coalition. 
• Volume 3: The Documents – A dedicated sourcebook compiling key diplomatic papers, Foreign Office minutes, and correspondence foundational to the text. 

Break Down of Value by Individual Volumes

If you were to value or sell the books individually (which is less common for this specific history set), they fetch the following single prices online:

• Volume 1 (1902–1914): Hardcover editions in good condition are generally valued around £20 to £45.
• Volume 2 (1914–1922): Hardcover copies sell independently from roughly £15.50 to £30.
• Volume 3 (The Documents): The documents volume spans roughly £8 to £30 depending on the specific retailer and jacket condition. 

Because academic sets like this are much harder to piece together individually, the combined set value holds a premium over the sum of its individual parts. Because The Mirage of Power was primarily purchased by universities and libraries in 1972, clean, non-ex-library copies in dust wrappers are considered genuinely rare on the antiquarian book market. 

Current Market Valuation

According to historical and active rare book data from platforms like AbeBooks, a complete 3-volume 1st edition set in “Fine” to “Very Good” condition with fine dust jackets commands a premium retail value: 

• Estimated Retail/Collectible Value: £150 – £200

Value Breakdown Factors

• The “Not Ex-Library” Premium: Most available copies of this 1972 edition have library stamps, card pockets, or heavy spine wear. Finding a clean copy that was privately owned multiplies the baseline value of the book by roughly 3x to 4x. 
• The Dust Jackets: For 20th-century historical sets, the presence of the dust jackets accounts for up to 50% of the book’s total market value. If the jackets are crisp and unclipped, collectors will pay at the higher end of the estimate.
• Set vs. Individual: Splitting the set up drops the total value significantly, as a private collector or university researcher is specifically looking for the complete progression (Volume 1: 1902–14, Volume 2: 1914–22, and Volume 3: The Documents).