Bates George Latimer (2 results)

Hardcover. 176 pages. Orthography, phonetics and vocabulary of the native African language first published in London, 1904. Many leaves printed one-side only. Written by the American naturalist who spent over 30 years in West Africa collecting plant and animal specimens, and sending them primarily to the Natural History Museum in London, which still holds his extensive collection. This revised edition was published in the West African country by the newly-established Presbyterian-run press for use in the missions. Scarce African imprint. Revised edition. Very good with stamped titling on cover; creased cloth on covers, probably from a binding flaw. Some loss to endpapers. Heavy discoloration to some pages, but text readable. Edge-crease to fold-out table, else near fine.

8vo. 301-322 pp. With a plate and a folding map. Modern blue boards (removed from: Ibis, Vol. 79, Issue 2, April 1937). An exploration of the birds of the Arabian Peninsula, especially in what is today Saudi Arabia, as collected by Harry St John Philby (1885-1960). The final leaf includes a folding map which traces the areas of the South Hejaz and Najd in which the bird specimens were found and sightings made. - St John Philby, also known by his Arabian name "Sheikh Abdullah", was an Arabist, explorer, writer, and British colonial office intelligence officer. Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, he studied languages and was a friend and classmate of Jawaharlal Nehru, later prime Minister of India. Philby settled in Jeddah and became famous as an international writer and explorer. He personally mapped on camelback what is now the Saudi-Yemeni border on the Rub' al Khali; in 1932, while searching for the lost city of Ubar, he was the first Westerner to visit and describe the Wabar craters. At this time, Philby also became Ibn Saud's chief adviser in dealing with the British Empire and Western powers. He converted to Islam in 1930. The personal contacts between the United States and Saudi Arabia were largely channeled through the person of Philby. - Expected light wear, in modern boards.