[Bloomsbury] Alexandria : A History and a Guide by FORSTER, E. M. (Edward Morgan, 1879-1970) - 1922

Alexandria: Whitehead Morris Limited, 1922. First Edition. Paper-Covered Boards. Near Fine+. Scarce First Printing of Forster's earliest work of nonfiction, painting an incomparable portrait of the great port city of Egypt and including the first translation of a poem by C. P. Cavafy, "The God Abandons Antony." Crown 8vo (184 x 119mm): [6],x,227,[1]pp, with 3 folding maps (one in color, in rear packet) and 18 plans (one of the copies, noted by Kirkpatrick, with the plan meant to face p. 144 incorrectly placed to face p. 44). Buff paper-covered boards, spine and upper cover lettered in navy blue. A superior example, tightly bound and clean throughout (pages and plates virtually pristine), the pocket map correctly folded, without stains or tears, marred only by flecks of brown (ink?) to upper cover that hardly detract from the binding's handsome state of preservation. Kirkpatrick A8. Reprinted, with text revised, in 1938. This first edition is scarce: an unknown number of copies were printed (Whitehead & Morris Limited's London records were destroyed during the blitz, and the Egyptian branch was sold at the end of the war), many of which ("a very large proportion") were destroyed by a warehouse fire. In the autumn of 1915, Forster arrived in Alexandria, as a volunteer for the Red Cross. Much of his time was spent exploring "the magic, antiquity and complexity" of the fabled metropolis of Alexander the Great, capital of Greco-Roman Egypt, where the doomed love affair of Antony and Cleopatra was played out and the greatest library the world has ever known was built. The guide's History in the first half is keyed with cross-referring notes to the Guide in the second. N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, carefully preserved in archival, removable mylar sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).