[SOLD] Gertrude Bell – Syria: The Desert and the Sown – 1928

A classic travelogue covering Syria and Palestine in the early 1900s, written by the renowned British explorer and political officer Gertrude Bell.

Offers an insight into the society, culture, landscape and religions of the area under the final years of the Ottoman Empire, before the onset of the First World War.

A fluent Arabic speaker, Bell travelled alone across the region in 1905, documenting her journey in detail. She later wrote other works on the Middle East, including on Iraq, and took part in postwar peace conferences and partition decisions. Along with T.E. Lawrence, she was a prominent voice in favour of Arab nationalism and independence following the end of the Ottoman Empire.

Profusely illustrated with B&W photography and sketches, plus a large folding map of the region to the rear.

Third impression of the first edition. Published in 1928 by William Heinemann in London. Bound in the original orange cloth, hardback. No jacket. In fair condition: some toning, marks and bumping externally, but clean inside.