Great Books Of The Western World. I have been bequeathed a set of books that are in absolute pristine condition. They comprise a rare opportunity to purchase for a serious private collector or public or university library. "Great Books Of The Western World" was published in 1952 by Encyclopaedia Brittanica Inc, and the 53 books in the collection include such authors as Fielding, Goethe, Tolstoy, Aristotle, Freud and Chaucer. Two examples are: Edward Gibbon - "The decline and fall of the Roman Empire." Adam Smith - "An enquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations."