James MacLaren Cobban - An African Treasure - 1899
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An African Treasure: A Tale of the Great Sahara by James MacLaren Cobban, with Cobban as author and illustrator, is a first edition hardback published by John Long in London in 1899, in English, 320 pages, about 20 cm tall, and is in very good condition.
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An African Treasure: A Tale of the Great Sahara is a rare, turn-of-the-century lost world fiction and adventure novel written by Scottish author J. MacLaren Cobban. Originally published in 1899 (with popular American editions released in 1900), the book falls squarely into the Victorian-era genre of imperial adventure fiction made famous by writers like H. Rider Haggard, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Rudyard Kipling.
The story follows an eccentric cast of characters, including Doctor Cairn and Sandy Peebles, who travel into the dangerous interior of Morocco. The protagonists must race against time to crack a cryptic puzzle before the ruthless Basha Misfiwa decodes it, preventing the tyrant from using its ancient secrets to claim a legendary power hidden in the sands.
The adventure culminates in a classic "lost world" trope: the discovery of a secret, ancient city hidden deep within the Sahara Desert, which is still populated by the isolated descendants of the Roman Empire. The book was successful enough to prompt multiple international editions, notably by John Long in London and the New Amsterdam Book Company in New York. It was frequently advertised alongside mainstream popular fiction of the day.
Today, the book is recognized by science fiction historians as a foundational piece of "Lost World" or "Lost Race" fiction. It is officially cataloged in genre bibliographies—such as George Locke’s A Spectrum of Fantasy—because it perfectly captures the peak of Victorian fascination with undiscovered civilizations.
An African treasure : a tale of the great Sahara
Author: James MacLaren Cobban
Publisher: John Long, London, 1899
320 pages ; 8°; 20 cm
First edition. A very good copy in its original ornate, pictorial red cloth. The gilt-stamped cover illustration and lettering remain bright and distinct. Light staining and minor edge wear, the binding is Internally solid and secure. Pages are crisp and clean with deckle edges and only minimal, isolated foxing to the preliminary and final leaves.
An African Treasure: A Tale of the Great Sahara is a rare, turn-of-the-century lost world fiction and adventure novel written by Scottish author J. MacLaren Cobban. Originally published in 1899 (with popular American editions released in 1900), the book falls squarely into the Victorian-era genre of imperial adventure fiction made famous by writers like H. Rider Haggard, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Rudyard Kipling.
The story follows an eccentric cast of characters, including Doctor Cairn and Sandy Peebles, who travel into the dangerous interior of Morocco. The protagonists must race against time to crack a cryptic puzzle before the ruthless Basha Misfiwa decodes it, preventing the tyrant from using its ancient secrets to claim a legendary power hidden in the sands.
The adventure culminates in a classic "lost world" trope: the discovery of a secret, ancient city hidden deep within the Sahara Desert, which is still populated by the isolated descendants of the Roman Empire. The book was successful enough to prompt multiple international editions, notably by John Long in London and the New Amsterdam Book Company in New York. It was frequently advertised alongside mainstream popular fiction of the day.
Today, the book is recognized by science fiction historians as a foundational piece of "Lost World" or "Lost Race" fiction. It is officially cataloged in genre bibliographies—such as George Locke’s A Spectrum of Fantasy—because it perfectly captures the peak of Victorian fascination with undiscovered civilizations.
An African treasure : a tale of the great Sahara
Author: James MacLaren Cobban
Publisher: John Long, London, 1899
320 pages ; 8°; 20 cm
First edition. A very good copy in its original ornate, pictorial red cloth. The gilt-stamped cover illustration and lettering remain bright and distinct. Light staining and minor edge wear, the binding is Internally solid and secure. Pages are crisp and clean with deckle edges and only minimal, isolated foxing to the preliminary and final leaves.
Details
Number of books
1
Subject
Literature, Science fiction and fantasy, Young adult fiction
Book title
An African Treasure
Author/ Illustrator
James MacLaren Cobban
Condition
Very good
Publication year oldest item
1899
Height
20 cm
Edition
1st Edition
Width
13 cm
Language
English
Original language
Yes
Publisher
John Long
Binding/ Material
Hardback
Number of pages
320
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