Apparently the sole edition, one of 1,000 copies, of this recognition guide comprising uniforms then used in Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Tunisia. It is rare, an institutional search showing just one copy, at National Defense University, Washington, DC. Each country has sections carrying a brief introduction, an illustration of the national flag, field uniforms, and insignia. At the end a distribution list identifies each “customer” within the US military, with a total distribution of 263 copies, 737 being held by United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM). Landscape quarto. Original pale green printed wrappers, wire stitched as issued. Illustrated throughout in colour and black and white. Inked lettering to top edge with very slight bleed, paper flaw at foot of back cover with closed tear and creasing. A very good copy, fresh and square. £1,250 [159321] 82 WEIL, Gustav. Geschichte der Chalifen. Mannheim: Friedrich Bassermann, 1846–51 First edition of Weil’s path-breaking history of Islam, which relied in large part on Muslim sources still in manuscript. Sets are fairly common in institutions, but rarely encountered on the market. Weil (1808–1889) was originally destined for the rabbinate, but at a young age found that he had little taste for the theological life and in “1828 he entered the University of Heidelberg, devoting himself to the study of philology and history; at the same time he studied Arabic under Umbreit. Though without means, he nevertheless went to study under De Sacy in Paris in 1830, and thence followed the French military expedition to Algiers, acting as correspondent at Algiers for the Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung . This position he resigned in 1831, and journeyed to Cairo, where he was appointed instructor of French at the Egyptian Medical School of Abu-Zabel. He utilised the opportunity to study with the Arabic philologists Mohammed Ayyad al-Tantawi and Ahmad al-Tunsi. Here also he acquired Neo-Persian and Turkish, and, save for a short interruption occasioned by a visit to Europe, he remained in Egypt till March, 1835” ( The Jewish Encyclopaedia ). On his return to Europe a dispute with Hammer-Purgstall blocked his way to becoming privat-docent at Heidelberg until the intervention of de Sacy, after which Weil was made assistant librarian, becoming librarian in 1838. Weil’s Thousand and One Nights (1837–41), the first complete translation into German, was intended to be a “philologically exact version”, however it was badly marred by the intervention of the publisher who changed “many
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objectionable passages, and thus made of it a popular and saleable work. This perversion caused Weil much vexation”. His life of the Prophet (1843), was the first to go back to the earliest sources available in Europe, and was later acknowledged by Washington Irving as a major source for his own Life of Mahomet (1850). Weil’s collection of Arabic manuscripts was presented to the University of Heidelberg by his children. Two pendant volumes to the present work were published nearly a decade later, treating the Mamluk Sultanate and the shadow ‘Abbasid caliphate which they established in Cairo. 3 volumes, octavo (218 × 136 mm). Near-contemporary green half calf, marbled boards and endpapers, spine lettered in gilt, top edges gilt, others uncut, original wrappers bound in to rear of each volume. From the library of British Arabist and colonial agent Col. S. B. Miles (see item 38). Light browning and some spotting, but overall very good indeed. ¶ Gay 3451 for a biographical summary. £4,500 [94297]
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All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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