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Exploration & Travel

Rare books and manuscripts of Exploration and Travel across the world. From first editions of Captain Cook to works signed by Ernest Shackleton, and from the plains of India to the deserts of the Sahara, these works chart the history of mankind recording the places and people they saw.

See: Africa, Antarctica, Arabia & the Middle East, Arctic, Australasia, the Pacific & Voyages, Central Asia, East Asia, Europe, Greece, Turkey & the Ottoman Empire, Mountaineering, South Asia, Southeast Asia, The Americas

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  • One of the pioneers of alpinism and alpine painting, Bourrit (1739-1819) accompanied de Saussure on his first ascents of the Alps.
    One of the pioneers of alpinism and alpine painting, Bourrit (1739-1819) accompanied de Saussure on his first ascents of the Alps.

    BOURRIT, Marc-Theodore.
    Nouvelle description générale et particulière des glaciers, 1787.
    £3,750.00

  • Collection of photographic plates shot in Ottoman-Empire-ruled territories of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey by the pioneers of orientalist photography - Dumas, Bonfils, Bergheim, Arnoux and Quarelli.
    Collection of photographic plates shot in Ottoman-Empire-ruled territories of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey by the pioneers of orientalist photography - Dumas, Bonfils, Bergheim, Arnoux and Quarelli.

    DUMAS, Tancrède; BONFILS, Felix; BERGHEIM, Peter; ARNOUX, Hippolyte; QUARELLI, F.
    Four albums of photographs of Ottoman Empire: c. 1860-1880].
    £15,000.00

  • The Deluxe issue of the first edition, with the plates hand-coloured, of The Unknown Horn of Africa by Frank Linsly James.
    The Deluxe issue of the first edition, with the plates hand-coloured, of The Unknown Horn of Africa by Frank Linsly James.

    JAMES, F[rank] L[insly].
    The Unknown Horn of Africa: 1888.
    £1,250.00

  • Gazeteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman, and Central Arabia.
    Gazeteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman, and Central Arabia.

    LORIMER, John Gordon.
    Gazeteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman, and Central Arabia. 2003.
    £4,000.00

  • John Lorimer's Gazeteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman, and Central Arabia, one of the most important primary sources for the study of the Gulf.
    John Lorimer's Gazeteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman, and Central Arabia, one of the most important primary sources for the study of the Gulf.

    [ARABIAN GULF]. LORIMER, John Gordon.
    Gazeteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman, and Central Arabia. 2003.
    £4,000.00

  • First edition of Jean de la Roque's Voyage de l'Arabie Heureuse, a description of the Kingdom of Yemen and Moka, and a treatise of coffee including three attractive plates of the coffee plant.
    First edition of Jean de la Roque's Voyage de l'Arabie Heureuse, a description of the Kingdom of Yemen and Moka, and a treatise of coffee including three attractive plates of the coffee plant.

    ROQUE, Jean de la.
    Voyage de l'Arabie Heureuse, 1716.
    £2,500.00

  • The enlarged and expanded second edition of A Voyage Towards the South Pole, by James Weddell, with additional
    The enlarged and expanded second edition of A Voyage Towards the South Pole, by James Weddell, with additional

    WEDDELL, James.
    A Voyage Towards the South Pole, 1827.
    £6,500.00

  • A first edition of The River War by Winston Churchill.
    A first edition of The River War by Winston Churchill.

    CHURCHILL, Winston.
    The River War. 1899.
    £3,750.00

  • First edition of Wilfred Thesiger's Arabian Sands, his classic narrative of his time spent amongst the Bedouins of South Arabia.
    First edition of Wilfred Thesiger's Arabian Sands, his classic narrative of his time spent amongst the Bedouins of South Arabia.

    THESIGER, Wilfred.
    Arabian Sands. 1959.
    £500.00

  • First edition of the 1941 issue of the The Straits Times Annual of Singapore, profusely illustrated and revealing life in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
    First edition of the 1941 issue of the The Straits Times Annual of Singapore, profusely illustrated and revealing life in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

    [SINGAPORE].
    The Straits Times Annual Singapore 1941. 1941.
    £950.00

  • First edition of Aurel Stein's On Alexander's Track to the Indus, his passion project on the routes and battlefields of Alexander's campaign in the east.
    First edition of Aurel Stein's On Alexander's Track to the Indus, his passion project on the routes and battlefields of Alexander's campaign in the east.

    STEIN, Sir [Marc] Aurel.
    On Alexander's Track to the Indus. 1929.
    £1,250.00

  • The 1942 edition of the Persian Gulf Pilot, with the 1948 supplement, a scarce pilot guide of the Persian gulf describing Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi, and numerous other villages and towns along the Arabian coast.
    The 1942 edition of the Persian Gulf Pilot, with the 1948 supplement, a scarce pilot guide of the Persian gulf describing Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi, and numerous other villages and towns along the Arabian coast.

    [ARABIAN GULF].
    Persian Gulf Pilot 1942.
    £3,500.00

  • First editionso of Views in Palestine and Views in the Ottoman Empire by Luigi Mayer, often found together, with 48 impressive coloured plates showing the Holy Land and the Ottoman Empire.
    First editionso of Views in Palestine and Views in the Ottoman Empire by Luigi Mayer, often found together, with 48 impressive coloured plates showing the Holy Land and the Ottoman Empire.

    MAYER, Luigi.
    Views in Palestine, 1804, 1803.
    £3,750.00

  • First edition of Nineveh and Its Remains by Austen Henry Layard, of his first expedition to Iraq and Mosul.
    First edition of Nineveh and Its Remains by Austen Henry Layard, of his first expedition to Iraq and Mosul.

    LAYARD, Austen Henry.
    Nineveh and Its Remains: 1849.
    £500.00

  • A rare and important record of Hamilton's voyage across Egypt to Sudan and the Hedjaz, with a dedicated chapter on Islam and the life of the Prophet.
    A rare and important record of Hamilton's voyage across Egypt to Sudan and the Hedjaz, with a dedicated chapter on Islam and the life of the Prophet.

    HAMILTON, James.
    Sinai, the Hedjaz, and Soudan: 1857.
    £5,500.00

  • First editions of Garstin's 1901 and 1904 Reports on the Irrigation and Basin of the Upper Nile, from the noted collection of Humphrey Winterton, one of the greatest collectors of East Africa in the last quarter of the twentieth century.
    First editions of Garstin's 1901 and 1904 Reports on the Irrigation and Basin of the Upper Nile, from the noted collection of Humphrey Winterton, one of the greatest collectors of East Africa in the last quarter of the twentieth century.

    GARSTIN, Sir William.
    Despatch from His Majesty's Agent and Consul-General at Cairo, 1901; 1904.
    £2,750.00

  • First edition of Notes on Tours in Darjeeling and Sikkim by WJ Buchanan, a scarce example of local Indian printing in Darjeeling for the express purpose of encouraging tourism to Sikkim State.
    First edition of Notes on Tours in Darjeeling and Sikkim by WJ Buchanan, a scarce example of local Indian printing in Darjeeling for the express purpose of encouraging tourism to Sikkim State.

    BUCHANAN, Lieut.-Col. W. J.
    Notes on Tours in Darjeeling and Sikkim. 1916.
    £1,500.00

  • First edition of this celebration of the first seven years of the United Arab Emirates, with text by Peter Hellyer and photographs by Pier Giorgio Sclarandis.
    First edition of this celebration of the first seven years of the United Arab Emirates, with text by Peter Hellyer and photographs by Pier Giorgio Sclarandis.

    HELLYER, Peter; SCLARANDIS, Pier Giorgio (photographer).
    United Arab Emirates. 1978.
    £550.00

  • First trade edition of A Pilgrim in Arabia by Harry St John Philby, the account of Philby's Hajj in 1930, in the scarce dust-jacket.
    First trade edition of A Pilgrim in Arabia by Harry St John Philby, the account of Philby's Hajj in 1930, in the scarce dust-jacket.

    PHILBY, Harry St. John B.
    A Pilgrim in Arabia. 1946.
    £375.00

  • An Account of the Spanish Settlements in America. In Four Parts.
    An Account of the Spanish Settlements in America. In Four Parts.

    [CAMPBELL, John].
    An Account of the Spanish Settlements in America. In Four Parts. 1762.
    £2,500.00

  • Moorcroft's travel narrative traces the journey of the author and Trebeck from Bareilly to Bokhara in the years 1819 to 1825.
    Moorcroft's travel narrative traces the journey of the author and Trebeck from Bareilly to Bokhara in the years 1819 to 1825.

    MOORCROFT, William; TREBECK, George.
    Travels in the Himalayan provinces of Hindustan and the Panjab; 1841.
    £5,000.00

  • The complete development plans of Saudi Arabia from 1970 to 1995 with supplementary documents and reports including the master plans for Jeddah.
    The complete development plans of Saudi Arabia from 1970 to 1995 with supplementary documents and reports including the master plans for Jeddah.

    [ARABIAN GULF; SAUDI ARABIA].
    Development Plans of the GCC States 1962-1995: Saudi Arabia. 1994.
    £7,500.00

  • Survey of the Shores and Islands of the Persian Gulf 1820-1829, the first systematic examination of the coastal topography of the Arabian Gulf with 55 maps and views.
    Survey of the Shores and Islands of the Persian Gulf 1820-1829, the first systematic examination of the coastal topography of the Arabian Gulf with 55 maps and views.

    [ARABIAN GULF]. COOK, Andrew (editor).
    Survey of the Shores and Islands of the Persian Gulf 1820-1829. 1990.
    £3,500.00

  • Sketches and Incidents of the Siege of Lucknow, an eye witness view by Clifford Mecham, depicting the heavy toll suffered by the British, with tinted lithographs
    Sketches and Incidents of the Siege of Lucknow, an eye witness view by Clifford Mecham, depicting the heavy toll suffered by the British, with tinted lithographs

    MECHAM, Clifford Henry.
    Sketches and Incidents of the Siege of Lucknow 1858.
    £2,500.00

  • An extensive collection of documents and letters covering the reign of King Abdulaziz, also known as Ibn Saud and the first king of a unified Saudi Arabia, from the reconquest of Riyadh in 1902 until his death in 1953.
    An extensive collection of documents and letters covering the reign of King Abdulaziz, also known as Ibn Saud and the first king of a unified Saudi Arabia, from the reconquest of Riyadh in 1902 until his death in 1953.

    [ARABIAN GULF; SAUDI ARABIA]. BURDETT, Anita L. (editor).
    King Abdul Aziz: Diplomacy and Statecraft 1902-1953 [and] Political Correspondence 1904-1953. 2020.
    £4,500.00

  • Development Plans of the GCC States 1962-1995: Kuwait.
    Development Plans of the GCC States 1962-1995: Kuwait.

    [ARABIAN GULF; KUWAIT].
    Development Plans of the GCC States 1962-1995: Kuwait. 1994.
    £3,250.00

  • Records of Kuwait: 1899-1961.
    Records of Kuwait: 1899-1961.

    [ARABIAN GULF; KUWAIT]. RUSH, A de L.
    Records of Kuwait: 1899-1961. 1989.
    £4,500.00

  • First edition of Wiliam Moorcroft's Travels in the Himalayan provinces of Hindustan and the Panjab, his scarce classic recounting his travels through the Punjab, Kashmir, and Afghanistan.
    First edition of Wiliam Moorcroft's Travels in the Himalayan provinces of Hindustan and the Panjab, his scarce classic recounting his travels through the Punjab, Kashmir, and Afghanistan.

    MOORCROFT, William; TREBECK, George.
    Travels in the Himalayan provinces of Hindustan and the Panjab; 1841.
    £3,750.00

  • First edition of Hong Kong by Ellen Thorbecke, one of the iconic picture books by Schiff with the scarce dust-jacket.
    First edition of Hong Kong by Ellen Thorbecke, one of the iconic picture books by Schiff with the scarce dust-jacket.

    THORBECKE, Ellen.
    Hong Kong. n.d. [1940].
    £600.00

  • First edition of the 1940 issue of the The Straits Times Annual of Singapore, profusely illustrated and revealing life in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
    First edition of the 1940 issue of the The Straits Times Annual of Singapore, profusely illustrated and revealing life in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

    [SINGAPORE].
    The Straits Times Annual Singapore 1940. 1940.
    £1,000.00

  • First edition of the 1939 issue of the The Straits Times Annual of Singapore, profusely illustrated and revealing life in Singapore and Southeast Asia at the outset of the War.
    First edition of the 1939 issue of the The Straits Times Annual of Singapore, profusely illustrated and revealing life in Singapore and Southeast Asia at the outset of the War.

    [SINGAPORE].
    The Straits Times Annual Singapore 1939. 1939.
    £1,100.00

  • First edition of the The Mulfuzat Timury by Charles Stewart, the first Western translation of the <em>Malfuzat-i Timuri</em>, allegedly Timur's own autobiography and one of the few primary sources of his reign alongside the Zafarnama.
    First edition of the The Mulfuzat Timury by Charles Stewart, the first Western translation of the <em>Malfuzat-i Timuri</em>, allegedly Timur's own autobiography and one of the few primary sources of his reign alongside the Zafarnama.

    [TIMUR]; STEWART, Charles (translator).
    The Mulfuzat Timury, or Authobiographical Memoirs of the Moghul Emperor Timur, 1830.
    £3,750.00

  • Rare map showing Stanley's travels on the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition, only in 2 UK institutions and not in BL.
    Rare map showing Stanley's travels on the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition, only in 2 UK institutions and not in BL.

    [STANLEY, Henry Morton]; Johnston, W. & A. K.
    New Map of Central Africa 1888.
    £1,250.00

  • The account of Speke's final expedition. It's purpose was to explore the Victoria Nyanza area and confirm that the lake was the source of the White Nile.
    The account of Speke's final expedition. It's purpose was to explore the Victoria Nyanza area and confirm that the lake was the source of the White Nile.

    SPEKE, John Hanning.
    Journal of the discovery of the source of the Nile. 1863.
    £2,500.00

  • First edition of Speech of Major Gen Sir John Malcolm, the Governor of Bombay who dieid in 1833.
    First edition of Speech of Major Gen Sir John Malcolm, the Governor of Bombay who dieid in 1833.

    [EAST-INDIA COMPANY].
    Speech of Major-Gen. Sir John Malcolm, G.C.B., &c. &c. 1833.
    £150.00

  • First edition of Rambles and Recollections of an Indian official by William Henry Sleeman, ncludes observations on Hindu social and religious rituals, crops, legends, witchcraft, etc.
    First edition of Rambles and Recollections of an Indian official by William Henry Sleeman, ncludes observations on Hindu social and religious rituals, crops, legends, witchcraft, etc.

    SLEEMAN, Lieut.-Colonel William Henry.
    Rambles and Recollections of an Indian official. 1844.
    £1,650.00

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