A flawless copy

Crichton, Andrew. History of Arabia and its People.

London & Edinburgh, T. Nelson and Sons, 1852.

8vo. XVI, 652 pp., publisher's catalogue. With engraved title-page and frontispiece, one folding engraved map of Arabia, and 5 engraved plates with tissue guards (including a view of Mecca). Publisher’s gilt-illustrated red cloth.

 3,500.00

Outstandingly preserved specimen of this account of Arabia and its inhabitants by the Scottish-born biographer and historian Crichton (1790-1855). Discusses the life and religion of Muhammad, the conquest, arts, and literature of the Saracens, the Caliphs of Damascus, Bagdad, Africa, and Spain, the modern Arabs, the Wahhabis, the Bedouins etc. Rare. An exceptional copy of the Edinburgh Cabinet Library new edition, the first single-volume edition (previously published 20 years earlier as two duodecimos). Entirely unread, the pages remaining mostly unopened, internally and externally crisp and bright. A stunning example of Victorian pictorial cloth with presentation inscription on the verso of the frontispiece: "Presented to William Hitchins on his leaving for Australia by Edward McNaughtan, 20th January 1853".

A trace of foxing to the fore-edge, occasional loosening to quires, otherwise flawless.

References

Macro 781. OCLC 175544. Cf. Gay 3462 (1833 ed.). Brunet 27998 ("pourrait se placer plus haut"). DNB XIII, 86.