The Road to Oxiana. by BYRON, Robert - 1937

London: Macmillan & Co. Ltd, , 1937. First edition, first impression. Presentation copy from the author, inscribed on the front free endpaper: "To Sir Denison Ross, in memory of much help with this book and many others, from, Robert Byron". A superb association, the distinguished linguist and orientalist Sir Denison Ross (1871-1940) was professor of Persian at University College, London (1896-1901). "Taking leave in 1897, he travelled extensively in central Asia and Persia, a journey which inspired The Heart of Asia: a History of Russian Turkestan and the Central Asian Khanates (with F. H. Skrine, 1899)" (ODNB). Between 1901 and 1914 Ross was in India, where he "considerably enhanced" his knowledge of the Islamic world, and acquired a knowledge of Chinese, Sanskrit and Tibetan. On his return to London he began work at the British Museum on a catalogue of the central Asian collection of Sir Aurel Stein but the outbreak of war meant that his skill as a linguist was diverted to the postal censorship and military intelligence departments of the War Office. His abilities "made him an obvious choice for appointment in November 1916 as the first director (and simultaneously professor of Persian) of the newly established School of Oriental Studies (from 1938, the School of Oriental and African Studies) in the University of London. He relished the challenge and the school flourished under his leadership, rapidly becoming one of the largest and most varied orientalist institutions in Europe... Ross's publications were many and varied" (ibid.). Octavo. Original blue cloth, titles gilt to spine. Frontispiece and 15 other plates, 5 full-page maps. Ends and corners nicked, spine a little faded, top edge darkened. An excellent copy, with the 2-pages of advertisements at the end.