Wandering words
London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1894. 8vo. [vi], ix-xii, 372 pp. FIRST EDITION. With 21 plates and numerous text illustrations. Without the list of the author’s other works that usually faces the half title. Half calf and marbled boards, edges scuffed; a lovely copy with occasional foxing. With the bookplate of Emerson Bainbridge, a noted English philanthropist and politician. Item #14928
First edition. Part travelogue, part poetic musings, the author here spins charming tales of his travels. Undertaken when he was a much older man, Arnold’s rambles took him primarily to the Pacific and Far East, though he also writes about Egypt, the Holy Land, India, and California in this work. He was particularly interested in Japan, and his writings “helped to spread in England optimistic views of Japanese progress and culture” (DNB).
Arnold (1832-1934) was an English poet and journalist best known for his epic poem “The Light of Asia.” He began his journalism career at the Daily Telegraph where he eventually became editor. Arnold had a lifelong interest in Eastern culture and languages, and in addition to his travels he published a number of translations and original work about the region.
Price: $100.00