INSCRIBED BY FREYA STARK

STARK, Freya. Beyond Euphrates. Autobiography 1923-1933. London: John Murray, (1951). Octavo, original green cloth, original dust jacket. $950.

First edition, first printing, of the self-contained second volume of Freya Stark's autobiographical trilogy, the sequel to Traveller's Prelude, inscribed by her on the half title: "By Freya Stark."

This is the second autobiography by Middle Eastern traveler Freya Stark, written during her brief post-war marriage. A war nurse and mountaineer, Freya Stark used a period of convalescence from a stomach ulcer to train as a governess, studying at the School of Oriental Studies in London. "In 1927 Stark lived in Lebanon for several months and travelled through Syria with Buddicom… She planned a journey to northern Persia after reading about the region at the British Museum. In 1929 she moved to Baghdad, where she went slumming in Arab clothing and was an outsider among priggish British expatriates. She gained acceptance after adventurous journeys to Lurestan and the Alamut district of Mazandaran, and the War Office made maps from her observations… In 1933 Stark returned to London to receive accolades as a female traveller. She was awarded the Back grant from the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) and was the first woman to receive the Burton medal of the Royal Asiatic Society" (DNB). This is the second of three autobiographies by Freya Stark. With laid-in list of Stark's works, featuring underlining in a similar pen to the inscription.

Book extremely good, with light soiling to cloth and mild toning to spine. Dust jacket very good only, with dampstaining, two large chips including to middle of spine, light wear to extremities, and several repairs visible on both sides.