Gardening in East Africa: A Practical Handbook

London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1939. Second printing. Hardcover. Very Good-/poor. light shelf wear to tips, corners and edges of book; dust jacket separated, lacks rear panel and and upper and lower spine. First printing. This second edition is not illustrated as the color plates were destroyed in the Bltz. A tipped in notice on the title page titled "War Emergency" notes that "The stock of Coloured Plates having been destroyed by enemy action it has been decided to re-issue the book at a cheaper price without the illustrations rather than suffer indefinite delay. June, 1942" While the British Empire faced "War Emergencies" on many fronts in 1941 and 42 it is hard to conceive that need of a new edition of Gardening In East Africa constituted one of them. Arthur John Jex-Blake (1873-1957) graduate of Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford, came of a distinguished family of scholars. His father, the Very Rev. Thomas William Jex-Blake, D.D., had been headmaster of Rugby before he became dean of Wells, which office he held from 1891 to 1910. His mother was Henrietta, daughter of John Cordery, of Hampstead. One of Arthur’s two sisters was principal of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford; the other was mistress of Girton, Cambridge. His aunt, the well-known Sophia Jex-Blake, was one of the chief figures in the early movement to open the medical profession to women in the days when prejudice against them ran high. During the First World War he served as a major in the R.A.M.C. in France and on his return became full physician to St. George’s, but did not continue for long as a consultant. In 1920 he married Lady Muriel Herbert, daughter of the fourteenth Earl of Pembroke, having known her and worked with her in Boulogne during the war. He resigned all his London appointments and left England with his bride for Kenya, where the remainder of his life was passed. Most items ship with free delivery confirmation, electronic tracking and jacket protectors (generally over $10.00) if applicable. Clean recycled packing material will be used when possible.