The Empty Quarter, Being A Description Of The Great South Desert Of Arabia Known As Rub’ Al Khali Harry St. John Philby

A seminal piece of early 20th-century exploration and travel writing on the Arabian Peninsula, then a virtually unknown and inhospitable area of the world. With the support of Ibn Saud, to whom he acted as informal advisor, Philby made the first pioneering crossing of the Empty Quarter in the winter of 1932-33, journeying from Hufuf to As Sulayyil. The trip is recorded in detail in the book, spanning the area’s flora, fauna, geology, landscapes, archaeology and society. Subtitled “Being a description of the Great South Desert of Arabia known as Rub’ al Khali.” First edition. Published in 1933 by Constable in London. Original green cloth with gilt lettering. Frontispiece and 31 other B&W plates, plus two folding maps in colour and a plan of meteorite craters. In unusually good condition. Binding tight and square with virtually no bumping to corners. Some minor creasing to spine. Bookplate to front endpaper. Clean and bright inside.