Folio Archives 379: Travels in Arabia Deserta by Charles M. Doughty – LIMITED EDITION 2013

Travels in Arabia Deserta by Charles M. Doughty – LIMITED EDITION 2013

This is the self-written tale of a journey through Arabia in 1876 at a time when the Arabian peninsula was virtually unknown to the outside world, and extremely hostile towards non-Muslims. Arabia was governed by innumerable warring tribes and travel was extremely hazardous. Never-the-less, Doughty travelled extensively from Damascus to Jeddah on the Red Sea via the central Arabian plateau where Riyadh is now situated.

He faced extreme hardship from malnutrition to violent attacks by hostile Wahabi tribesmen. His descriptions of the people, geology, geography and religion were unsurpassed for decades, and his book was used as a guide by Lawrence of Arabia.

It is fascinating and easy reading as he encounters people who have never before met a European or Christian, and they cannot understand when faced with death that he will not convert to Islam.

Dougherty had no camera, but did make some drawings and diagrams, many of which are reproduced in the book. There are 48 pages of monochrome photos by Félix Bonfils that were the earliest taken of Arabia. There is a preface by Rory Stewart, and introduction by T. E. Lawrence, appendices and an extensive index.

The two volumes are half-bound in brown leather with superb marbled covers by Jemma Lewis. They are accompanied hy a brown buckram cloth map-case which contains a large segmentally folded coloured cloth mounted map marked with Doughty’s route and the limitation colophon. The page tops are gilded. All three are housed in a dark brown buckram cloth covered slipcase with a gilt printed brown leather title label on the edge. The endpapers are light brown.

Volume one has 610 pages and volume two 644 pages, and in the slipcase measure 29x19x13.3cm. The limitation was 780 copies and on publication it cost £495.

I was fortunate enough to visit Saudi Arabia in 2023 and see many of the places described by Doughty, but under dramatically better circumstances! It was fascinating comparing the descriptions by Doughtyy with my own observations 150 years later. Many of the ancient monuments have remained unchanged as tourism is still in its infancy in Arabia.







































































































The promotional brochure for this publication can be seen here.

An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.

One of my favorite all time FS productions. Thank you for this excellent review!

Thank you for yet another great review. I worked in Saudi Arabia for nearly two years in 1990/91, and this happened to be my first FS Limited Edition! Still one of my favorites 😊

One of the best things Folio has ever done.

Going to pick this up. Thanks.

For those like myself - without the means to acquire this exquisite but Limited Edition-exclusive, the LEC edition (abridged, illustrated but unsigned by Edy Legrand) might provide some respite. Even cheaper, the HP edition.

Review of the LEC Travels in Arabia Deserta: https://georgemacyimagery.wordpress.com/2020/10/27/limited-editions-club-travels...

GMD thread on the LEC edition: https://www.librarything.com/topic/154342

I have looked at this a number of times on eBay, Abe books, etc. Thanks you for the review, the next time I look I will be buying it.

Great review. This is a beautiful LE. I have come to love the combination of leather and marbled paper bindings and this is one of my favourites.

One of the big draws with this edition that make it special, are the 48 photographs taken from the Harvard Fine Arts Library and reproduced for the first time. I feel that this edition exemplifies what was the FS's golden age of Limited Editions when each one was unique and exciting.

https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/finearts/2013/09/