inscribed by the author to Naomi Mitchison

Naomi Mitchison's copies of the first and second edition of Forster's essential guide to Alexandria. Inscribed by the author in the second edition: 'Naomi Mitchison from E.M. Forster / with all good wishes. / March 1939'.

One of two books (the other being Pharos and Pharillon), in which Forster describes the city in which he was stationed as a Red Cross volunteer during World War I. He had originally travelled to Alexandria with the aim of joining the relief effort, but, finding that 'what had begun as an outpost turned into something suspiciously like a funk-hole', he spent his spare time researching and writing about the city in order, as he said, to make living there tolerable.

Forster wrote his book in two thematically distinct parts, the first devoted to the city's history, the second to a more conventional, Baedeker-like series of walks through neighbourhoods and museums, as well as excursions ranging outside the city (Samuel Cross, Yale University).

First and second edition respectively; 2 vols, 8vo; [first edition:] Naomi Mitchison's bookplate, frontispiece, 20 maps including folding map inserted loose in rear pocket, some offsetting to endpapers; publisher's buff boards printed in black, extremities slightly rubbed, else very good; [second edition:] inscribed by the author, folding maps, plates in colour and b&w, minor spotting to endpapers; publisher's yellow boards printed in black, spine slightly faded, extremities a little rubbed and bumped, else very good.