Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to El-Medinah and Mecca

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First edition, 1855, complete, 18 plates, including maps, plans, coloured & tinted lithographs. Three octavo volumes, in modern half red morocco over red marbled boards, some blind tooling. Spines, raised bands, gilt tooling, gilt titles to green morocco labels. Internally; Vol 1, frontis, [7], (viii-xiv), [1] errata, [1], [1], 2-388 pp, 1 map (folding), 3 pls (2 oloured). Vol 2, frontis, [2], [3], (iv) only, [1], 2-426 pp, 4 pl (3 tinted), 1 map (folding), & 1 plan. Vol 3, half title, frontis, [9], (x) only, [1], [1], [1], 2-448 pp, 8 pls (2 coloured), including 1 folding plan, Bound without the adverts, brown endpapers, some evidence of removed bookplates, all the seven of the lithographs in Volumes 1 & 11 have library stamps (Bradford Library). (214*131). (Abbey Travel, 368; Penzer, pp. 43-50; Casada 53; Ghani 62). In 1853 Burton traveled in disguise as an Indian Muslim on a pilgrimage to Islam's two most sacred shrines, Mecca & Medinah. The publication of his account of the journey brought him fame as an adventurer and also as a man of considerable knowledge about Arabs, their customs and way of life. The present work reflects Burtons attraction to the Arabs and his belief that Islam is an equal to Christianity and Judaism.