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78 THESIGER, Wilfred. Arabian Sands; [together with] The Marsh Arabs; [and] The Life of My Choice. London: Longmans, Green and Co. Ltd, 1959 thesiger’s first and finest work, inscribed to the agent who insisted that he write it First edition, first impression, inscribed by the author to his literary agent: “To Graham Watson, who inspired me to write this book, from Wilfred Thesiger”; with a loosely inserted two-page autograph letter, dated 1995, signed “Wilfred”. Together with a similar copy of The Marsh Arabs , also in supplied jacket, inscribed “Graham from Wilfred”, additionally signed on the title page, and a slightly worn, jacketed first edition of The Life of my Choice , signed. In the letter Thesiger expands on his gratitude to Watson: “Certainly I would never have started to write had it not been for you and so I owe to you, not only ‘Arabian Sands’ but the others which have followed”. This was Thesiger’s first book and “in his opinion, his finest” ( ODNB ). “During the years that I was in Arabia I never thought that I would write a book about my travels . . . Seven years after leaving Arabia I showed some photographs I had taken to Graham Watson and he strongly urged me to write a book about the desert. This I refused to do . . . The following day Graham Watson came to see me again, and this time he brought Mark Longman with him. After much argument the two of them persuaded me to try to write this book. Now that I have finished it I am grateful to them, for the effort to remember every detail has brought back vividly into my mind the Bedu amongst whom I travelled, and the vast empty land across which I rode on camels for ten thousand miles” (Introduction). Octavo. Original beige boards, spine lettered in black and gilt. With supplied dust jacket. Frontispiece and 46 plates, 8 maps to the text, some full-page, with folding map in a pocket at the back. A little used, spine tanned and with a couple of short splits at ends, pale toning, but overall a very good copy. £4,500 [157133]
he opens with a brief physical description: “Qatar is nothing but a desert of rocks and gravel”. He gives the population as 26,640 including 4,000 Bedouin, all Muslim (formerly Maliki now Wahhabi); covers trades (825 pearling ships), and administration, including rule by Bahrain and the Ottomans. The Trucial Coast is “flat and sandy” with a “hot and severe” climate; population is 80,000, of which 8,000 are Bedouin, with 56,000 living in cities; discusses tribal divisions and origins for Dibai (Dubai), Ebu Zabi (Abu Dhabi), Ecmen (Ajman), Sarca (Sharjah), Res ul Heyma (Ras al Khaimah), Umm el Koveyn (Um al Kuwayn), Beremi (Buraimi); African slaves; acceptance of Islam; ports; exports, including pearls and daggers; imports; administration, administrative districts, government of India, and the British Resident who arbitrates truces, protests from Iran and Turkish, and again commenting in detail on recent history and diplomatic correspondence. His conclusion notes that the British have greatly benefited from Turkish weakness, remarks on what the treaty with Bahrain means for dealings with Qatar, and notes the abandonment of Turkish claims. The maps show the Arabian Gulf just before the unification of Saudi Arabia, the relevant part of which is marked as Necd (Nejd). Ismail Hakki Tevfik (1881–1977) was a diplomat based at Basra. His father Ahmet Tevfik Pasha (1845–1936) served three terms as Ottoman Grand Vizier and was the last in post when the sultanate was abolished; he had also been head of the senate of the Ottoman Empire, president of the delegation to the Paris Peace Conference, and minister of foreign affairs. Ismail served in the First Balkan War, the First World War and Turkish War of Independence; his diplomatic career included posts in Moscow, Antwerp, Plovdiv, Bari, Basra, and Vienna. The family assumed the name Okday under the Turkish Surname Law of 1934. Octavo, 32 pp. Wire-stitched in the original pink printed wrappers. 2 maps to the text. Turkish text in Roman characters in double columns, with quoted passages in English and French. Wrappers lightly foxed and faded at the edges, pale stain to lower right of front panel, small chip to bottom corner of rear cover, text a touch toned and with a couple of minor creases and closed tears, very good. £12,500 [159486]
All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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