Arabia Reborn.

Albuquerque: The University of New Mexico Press,, 1952. First edition, first printing, of this handsomely illustrated biography of King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud and description of the modern Saudi state, by the editor of The Arab World Magazine. Kheirallah's work is uncommon in the jacket. The surgeon George Ibrahim Kheirallah (1879-1959) was a close friend of King Saud, and instrumental in establishing the Arabian-American Oil Co. The work contains numerous images of early Saudi Arabia and its royal family, including King Saud, Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Mansour bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The photographs allow an insight into everyday life, including a street scene in Jeddah, children outside their schoolhouse, camel caravans, and a carpenter constructing a tool shack for the Arabian American Oil Company. Provenance: ink stamp of "Glen F. Brown / USGS / c/o American Embassy / APO New York 09697" on front free endpaper and top edge of text block. Brown (1911-2001) began his long and close association with Saudi Arabia when he joined the US Geological Survey's search for desert water at Ibn Saud's request in 1945. He led the first major mapping exercise with the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) and Saudi Government (1950-63), which shaped national development strategy for years to come. He led Saudi-USGS cooperation until 1969, worked as an advisor from Jeddah until 1972, and continued to work on Saudi geology from the US for the rest of his life. Octavo. With frontispiece and 16 plates, illustrations in the text. Original light brown hessian, spine lettered in green, stylised illustration in green on front cover, map endpapers at front. With pictorial dust jacket. Minor soiling on front cover, a few stains to preliminary leaves; jacket some chips or tears to extremities: a very good copy in very good jacket.