"THE BOOK ABOUT ARABIA TO END ALL BOOKS ABOUT ARABIA": ARABIAN SANDS, SIGNED BY WILFRED THESIGER
THESIGER, Wilfred. Arabian Sands. (London): Longmans, (1959). Octavo, original beige cloth, original dust jacket.
First edition of one of the finest travel books of the 20th century, chronicling a five-year journey through the Empty Quarter, one of the cruelest deserts in the world, richly illustrated with Thesiger's own photographs, with large folding map of the Empty Quarter in rear pocket—this copy signed by Thesiger on the title page.
"Following worthily in the tradition of Burton, Lawrence, Philby and Thomas, [Arabian Sands] is, very likely, the book about Arabia to end all books about Arabia" (The Daily Telegraph). "The narrative is vividly written, with a thousand little anecdotes and touches which bring back to any who have seen these countries every scene with the colour of real life" (The Sunday Times). Thesiger notes in his Introduction that he went to the Empty Quarter "only just in time," before the advent of the car, wireless communication and foreign prospectors. "They will bring back results far more interesting than mine, but they will never know the spirit of the land nor the greatness of the Arabs." Original owner ink signature dated the year of publication.
A fine copy, scarce and desirable in this condition and signed.