Narrative of a Year's Journey through Central and Eastern Arabia — 3rd Edition

£250.00

Narrative of a Year's Journey through Central and Eastern Arabia — 3rd Edition

Name: Narrative of a Year's Journey through Central and Eastern Arabia — 3rd Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 5898
Price: 250.00 GBP
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Narrative of a Year's Journey through Central and Eastern Arabia (1862-63), William Gifford Palgrave — 3rd Edition

Publication: London and Cambridge, Macmillan and Co., 1866

Formatting: 2 vols, 8vo, pp. [viii], 428; [iv], 398. With portrait frontispiece, one large folding coloured map, and 4 folding plans.

Condition Report: Very Good. The two volumes are presented in their original publisher’s green cloth, featuring striking gilt-tooled vignettes of an Arab leading a camel to the front boards and gilt lettering to the spines. The bindings remain structurally sound and pleasingly tight, showing only minor, expected shelf-wear for their age; there is some light rubbing to the extremities, with gentle bumping and slight fraying just beginning at the spine heads and tails, alongside slightly softened corners. The gilt tooling remains notably bright and unoxidised. Internally, the text blocks are generally clean and crisp, with the edges remaining slightly rough-cut. There is some light, scattered foxing primarily confined to the preliminary and terminal leaves, including the title page and frontispiece, as is typical for this title, but the main body of text and the folding maps remain in excellent, tidy condition, ensuring the set justifies its strong grade.

Catalogue Note: The Third Edition of William Gifford Palgrave’s highly regarded travelogue, complete in two volumes. Following the immediate and widespread success of the first edition in 1865, Macmillan and Co. quickly issued this 1866 third edition to meet public demand. The work is beautifully supplemented by a medallion portrait frontispiece of the author in traditional Arab dress, alongside a large, coloured facsimile hand-drawn folding map of Arabia and four detailed folding plans, notably including the intricate 'Plan of Hayel'.

Palgrave’s journey was ostensibly undertaken to determine the region's suitability for French imperial ambitions under Napoleon III, though it is best remembered today for providing one of the most detailed, observant, and literary accounts of the Arabian Peninsula produced in the nineteenth century.

Complete copies of early printings that retain their original Macmillan green cloth bindings and all supplementary maps are becoming increasingly uncommon on the open market, making this an excellent addition to any collection of Middle Eastern travel and exploration history.

William Gifford Palgrave (1826–1888) was an English priest, soldier, and diplomat who undertook a daring and perilous expedition across the Arabian Peninsula. Disguised as a Syrian physician, Palgrave successfully penetrated regions of the Nejd and Wahhabi strongholds that were strictly closed off to European travellers. His resulting narrative is celebrated not only for its invaluable geographical and ethnographic observations of a rarely seen world, but also for its vivid, engaging prose that brings the harsh, beautiful landscapes and complex societies of nineteenth-century Arabia vividly to life.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: William Gifford Palgrave

Book Publisher: Macmillan and Co.

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Non-Fiction

Genre: Travel, Exploration & Adventure

Book edition: Third Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages:

Book Publication Year: 1866

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: N/A

Country/region of manufacture: London, United Kingdom

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

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Condition	Description
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As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.