The Coast of Incense: Autobiography 1933-39

London: John Murray , 1953. First edition. Cloth. Near Fine/Very Good. 9" by 6" . Not Stated . The first edition of this autobiographical work by Freya Stark, recounting of her travels in South Arabia between 1933-39. The third and last part of Freya Stark's autobiography, which mainly focusses on her travels around South Arabia between 1933 and 1939, a very personal account drawn upon her own experiences. She was known to be one of the first non-Arabian to travel through the Southern Arabian desert in modern times. The first edition. Illustrated with a series of photographs taken by the author herself as well as a map printed on green paper. Collated, complete with forty full page plates and numerous wood engravings by Reynolds Stone in text. In the unclipped dust wrapper. Previous ownership signature to the front free endpaper 'This belongs to Audrey Bouverie,' dated 1953. From the library at Julian Park, Hertfordshire, belonging to Audrey Pleydell-Bouverie. Audrey was the youngest daughter of an Anglo-American lumber and steel millionaire, sister to Edward James, a key figure in the Surrealist movement, and the illegitimate granddaughter of King Edward VII. She was an English socialite known for her beauty and for charming various wealthy men, she was included in The Book of Beauty by Cecil Beaton. A patron of the arts, she assisted Viscount Carlow financially in the publication of limited editions of numerous works by leading literary figures such as T E Lawrence, James Joyce, Wyndham Lewis, and others. A hedonistic pursuer, she was recognised as one of the 'Bright Young Things'.  In the original publisher's full cloth binding. Externally lovely. Previous ownership inscription to the front free endpaper 'Audrey Bouverie,' dated 1953. The dust wrapper is unclipped and smart with minor shelf wear and chipping to the head and tail of the spine and extremities, minor loss tot he front wrap, unclipped. Internally, firmly bound. A minor spotting to the fore edge, not affecting the pages that are bright and clean. With only a minor burning mark to the lower margin of the occasional leaf, not affecting any text. Illustrated with a series of photographs taken by the author herself as well as a map printed on green paper. Collated, complete with forty full page plates and numerous wood engravings by Reynolds Stone in text. Near Fine