Arabian Oil Ventures.

PHILBY, Harry St John Bridger.

Published by Washington, DC: Middle East Institute, 1964

About this Item

First edition, first printing, presentation copy, inscribed on the half-title, "For Wm D. Payton, from Khalid, Faris, & Hamed. Beirut 10 II '65". Khalid and Faris were two of Philby's children. The recipient worked in the Middle Eastern oil industry for almost three decades; his papers, held at St Antony's College, Oxford, record links with three generations of the author's family. After completing his studies in Arabic, William Durham Peyton (1917-1991, his name spelt incorrectly in the inscription) began working as the oil representative of Paul Getty in the Middle East. From 1955, he worked for Aramco, Shell, and Petroleum Development Oman, retiring in 1977 and assuming a directorship of the British Bank of the Middle East. Loosely inserted is a carbon copy of a typed memo, dated 19 March 1955, from Peyton to Fred A. Davies, the head of the Middle East Institute and the author of the foreword. The letter discusses recent public lectures given by Philby in the Middle East, in which he "gave perhaps half of the time to praise of the late King [Ibn Saud]. Mr. Philby did not hide his disappointment in the way [the new] King Saud had failed to match the strength of character of his late father". Also included is Peyton's distribution carbon copy of a somewhat gossipy confidential memo, dated 10 June 1956, from Leonard Siwek to William Burleigh (two old Middle East hands employed by Aramco). Siwek reports on Philby's activities following the latter's arrival back in Saudi Arabia in May and his apparent return to official favour in the country. A final duplicate copy of a typed document, dated 26 May 1956 and written by Peyton to Burleigh, discusses Peyton's work in the Arabian Research Division of Aramco. Philby had four children, including Khalid and Faris, by his second wife, Rozy al-Abdul Aziz (m. 1945). The identity of "Hamed" is unknown. Octavo. Tipped-in half-tone frontispiece after a photograph of Ibn Saud by Thomas E. Ward, 12 half-tone plates. Original blue cloth, spine lettered in silver, map endpapers. With dust jacket. Cloth lightly sunned and rubbed, contents clean; unclipped jacket toned, especially to spine, a few chips and nicks: a near-fine copy in very good jacket.

Seller Inventory # 170495

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Arabian Oil Ventures.
• Publisher: Washington, DC: Middle East Institute, 1964
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)