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16 BRÉMOND, Édouard. Le Hedjaz dans la Guerre Mondiale. Paris: Payot, 1931 First edition, decidedly uncommon in commerce, just one copy traced at auction. Brémond was head of the French military mission to the Hejaz, sent by the French government to assert its presence in the region, working alongside Lawrence in fostering the Arab Revolt. His account is a useful corrective to anglophone Lawrentian bias. Brémond (1868–1948) was a very different character to Lawrence, a graduate of Saint-Cyr and École supérieure de guerre. From 1890 onwards he had seen extensive service in Algeria and Morocco, before a brief tour on the Western Front in command of the 64th Infantry Regiment. The present work was written in part to set straight the record, countering the picture painted by Lawrence in Revolt in the Desert with a “more precise and less romanticised documentation of the intervention in the Hejaz, returning events to their true scale” (Foreword). For his part Lawrence was openly dismissive of Brémond, particularly so in Seven Pillars . The Sykes-Picot agreement had stirred Francophobia in the Arab Bureau, and its head and patron of Lawrence, D. G. Hogarth, was “especially apprehensive of any vague joint colonial effort in the Middle East; like many of his British contemporaries, he knew and feared the French colonial record in that area and North Africa” (Tarver, p. 593). To this resistance to French influence Lawrence added his own “aversion of most regular soldiers. Hence a double antipathy strongly coloured his attitude towards Brémond . . . and his staff” (ibid.). The two clashed over the occupation of Aqaba, Brémond favouring an Allied landing from the Red Sea, Lawrence successfully countering with his famous surprise raid from landward, a typically “private venture” undertaken without orders or backing from any British source. Octavo. Original printed light card wrappers. 5 double-page maps to the text. Wrappers slightly rubbed and browned, a touch brittle at edges and spine where there is some cracking, now repaired with slight loss at head, corresponding small chip from back panel of wrappers; contents typically lightly browned, but sound. A very good copy. ¶ Not in Macro; O’Brien
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F0140. Linda J. Tarver, “In Wisdom’s House: T. E. Lawrence in the Near East”, Journal of Contemporary History , 13, 3, 1978. £2,250 [156763] 17 CARLYLE, Joseph Dacre. Specimens of Arabian Poetry, from the Earliest Time to the Extinction of the Khalifat. Cambridge: Printed by John Burges Printer to the University, 1796 First edition, second issue, with a cancel title page; copies are noted dated 1795. Writing in ODNB , the distinguished English orientalist Stanley Lane-Poole describes the present translation as “well-respected”. Carlyle was educated at Carlisle Grammar School and Cambridge, and while at Queens’ College “profited from the instructions of a native of Baghdad, who passed in Britain under the name David Zamio. As a result, Carlyle became so proficient in oriental languages that he was appointed professor of Arabic on the resignation of Dr Craven in 1795” (ibid.). In 1799 Carlyle was appointed chaplain to Lord Elgin’s mission to Constantinople and made an extensive tour through Asia Minor, Palestine, Greece, and Italy, collecting Greek and Syriac manuscripts for a proposed new version of the New Testament, though he did not live to finish it. Large octavo (226 × 182 mm) Early 19th-century half calf, neatly rebacked to style with the original red morocco label laid down, spine with gilt rolls forming compartments, marbled sides, edges sprinkled blue. Sheet of musical notation, text in Arabic types, engraved head- and tailpieces. Boards sightly rubbed, corners professionally restored, internally lightly browned and with occasional spotting, but overall a clean and carefully refurbished copy, presenting well. ¶ Arcadian Library 8444; ESTC 144981;
Gay 3436. £1,500
[95218]
All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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