Rare first edition, in the original Spanish, here in the original publisher's illustrated paper wrappers, of an important work on Arabian horses, describing a voyage made in 1904 of a Spanish commission to Turkey, Syria, Mesopotamia and Palestine, to observe thoroughbred Arabian horses. They returned to Spain with 33 Percherons, including 27 considered first class horses. In the present work, the Spanish cavalry commander Luis Azpeitia de Moros describes their journey, their contact and negotiations with the people there and the horses they bought. Azpeitia de Moros's account is lavishly illustrated with photographic illustrations, all with Spanish captions printed below, not only of the areas they visited and their inhabitants, but also of the several horse specimens they bought, with their name and place of purchase in the printed captions The present work was used as reference source by Gladys Brown Edwards in her work on the history of the Arabian horse (The Arabian: war horse to show horse) (Boyd/Paul, p. 11). An English translation appeared in 2001 (In search of the Arabian horse) and an Arabic one was published in Riyadh in 2007 (al-Bahth `an al-husan al-`Arabi). The rare first edition of an important work on Arabian horses, even rarer in its original wrappers, as in the present copy, illustrated with drawings of scenes of the voyage.
Wrappers a little browned and somewhat foxed (including the edges), spine slightly damaged (especially at the head) and partly cracked. Some very minor foxing throughout, but otherwise in good condition. A very rare work on Arabian horses. Boyd/Paul 10; WorldCat 49468733; not in Palau.