The Guide to South and East Africa. For the use of tourists, sportsmen, invalids and settlers (1913)

This edition of the famous series of Union-Castle Mail Steamship guides is notable not only because it was published a hundred years ago and because it was the last before the shipping disruptions brought about by the first world war, but also because of its generally excellent condition despite the absence of two of the 25 maps listed in the contents and the damage to another one.

With prelims, advertisements, index, text and maps, the issue runs to almost 900 pp, packed, as always, with invaluable information and guidance. The opening words of the preface remain eminently quotable:

"Nearly three hundred years ago, when James Howell, the compiler of the first guide book in English, published his work on Continental travel, he stated that he was moved thereto by the fear lest his countrymen, ignorant of where to seek the noteworthy and beautiful, should, 'like Johah in the belly of he whale, travel far and see little'.",/p>

What Baedeker and Cook's more recently than Howell did for Europe, the Gordon-Browns and other editors have done as brilliantly in their guides for Southern and East Africa. Those of us who have enjoyed their work over the years (and this writer still remembers his copy of the guide for 1947, the year he first sailed from Southampton to Cape Town: for another copy, see the next lot) remain delighted with the pleasures they gave and still give.

This copy has been well repaired, with the original spine cover laid down on a new black leather substrate, the endpapers strengthened, the sections resewn and head and tail bands inserted.

J C van der Pol's name is both on the front cover and on the front free (advertising) endpaper.