Black Tents of Arabia (My Life Among the Bedouins).

1935. London, Hutchinson, [1935]. 8vo. Original black cloth, lettered in white (remainder binding); pp. 280, [24, advertisements]; numerous illustrations from photographs, one folding table of named horses; cloth with lettering of front partially lost, minimal spotting to initial and final few leaves, else a very good copy. Scarce first edition of a major work discussing Arab horses and camels, among ethnographic observations. A minor incident had resulted in the author becoming a blood brother of Amir Fuaz, a member of the Ruala Bedouins, one of the largest Bedouin tribes. His experiences during numerous visits to the tribe in the years following the First World War are recounted in the present work. Inhabiting the region of northern Arabia, the Ruala prove to be fierce hosts, and Raswan records instances of skirmishes between marauding bands, alongside enjoyment of pursuits such as falconry. The majority of plates depict horses and camels, at work and rest and being cared for. The table lists Arabian Horses of "known" ('asil') descent in both Arabic and English transliteration. Carl Reinhard Raswan (1893-1966), born Carl Reinhard Schmidt was the scholar of Arabian bloodlines, he also published the Raswan Index, an extensive compilation of Arabian horse pedigrees and strain information. He advocated tolerance and understanding of Bedouin ways of life and culture in Arabia. Raswan's life in Arabia and the US is definitely worth a full-length biography.