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The Boy Travellers in the Far East, Part Fourth: Egypt and the Holy Land

by Thomas W. Knox

The Work

First published
1882
Original publisher
Harper & Brothers
Originally published in
New York

Drew's Copy

Edition
Undated Harper & Brothers edition
Publisher
Harper & Brothers
Published in
New York
Copy published
Undated
Binding
Decorated gray-blue cloth hardcover with gilt, red, and black stamping
Collection status
On the shelves
Reading status
Owned
Condition
Fair; heavy edge and spine wear, staining and surface loss on the back cover, a wrinkled and damaged tissue guard, corner losses, and wear along the folding map
Travel LiteratureAdventure FictionEgyptHoly LandNineteenth Century

Acquisition & Provenance

Acquired
June 30, 2025
Acquisition type
Purchased
Source
eBay
Seller
punkandvintagegoods
Item price
$56.25
Order total
$63.40 before a $2.54 refund
Delivered
July 7, 2025
Provenance
A partial refund of $2.54 was issued on July 1, 2025, reducing the final order cost to $60.86.

How This Copy Came to the Library

When I purchased this book in June 2025, it was the only copy of the Egypt and the Holy Land volume that I could find available. I was not thrilled with its condition relative to what I paid. The binding is heavily worn, the back cover is stained and abraded, and several interior elements show damage.

I bought it because there was no better alternative in the market at the time. Since then, I have continued watching for another copy, but no substantially better example has appeared in the same price range. That has made me more content with this one. It is imperfect, but it gave me a scarce volume when the opportunity arose, and it still retains the decorated front board, folding map, color plate, and readable text that make the old Harper editions worth preserving.

Why This Book Is in My Library

This scarce Egypt and Holy Land volume filled an important gap in Drew’s Boy Travellers shelf despite the copy’s disappointing condition.

Place in My Physical Library

This volume stands with Drew’s growing shelf of Thomas W. Knox travel and adventure books, alongside other volumes from The Boy Travellers series.

About This Copy

The title page is undated, while the copyright page records 1882, the year Part Fourth of The Boy Travellers in the Far East first appeared. The front board remains visually impressive despite the book’s overall wear, with Egyptian-inspired borders, gilt titling, stylized papyrus ornament, and a decorative band across the foot.

This copy’s defects are part of its record: worn edges and corners, loss and staining on the back board, a distressed tissue guard, and damage along the folding map. It nevertheless preserves two especially attractive pieces of visual evidence—a map of Egypt from the Mediterranean to Khartoum and a color Nile scene signed by C. Graham.

This is not the condition Drew would have chosen in a plentiful market, but it remains a scarce and visually rich survivor of the series.

Part of a CollectionThe Boy Travellers

Nine Boy Travellers volumes by Thomas W. Knox, collected as artifacts of American travel writing, childhood reading, and the rapidly changing world of the 1880s and 1890s.

Explore the collection
Drew's Copy
Front cover of Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers in the Far East, Part Fourth: Egypt and the Holy Land
The decorated gray-blue cloth front cover of Drew's copy.
Shelf and spine of Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers in the Far East, Part Fourth: Egypt and the Holy Land
The Egypt and the Holy Land volume on Drew's Thomas W. Knox shelf.
Back cover of Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers in the Far East, Part Fourth: Egypt and the Holy Land
The back cover, showing staining, abrasion, edge wear, and cloth loss around the spine joint.
Half-title of Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers in the Far East, Part Fourth: Egypt and the Holy Land
The badly wrinkled and damaged tissue guard over the half-title.
Title page of Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers in the Far East, Part Fourth: Egypt and the Holy Land
The title page identifies the book as Part Fourth of The Boy Travellers in the Far East.
Copyright page of Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers in the Far East, Part Fourth: Egypt and the Holy Land
The copyright notice records entry in 1882 by Harper & Brothers.
Illustration of Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers in the Far East, Part Fourth: Egypt and the Holy Land
A surviving color plate of boats and figures along the Nile, with pyramids in the distance.
Physical detail of Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers in the Far East, Part Fourth: Egypt and the Holy Land
Physical detail
Physical detail of Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers in the Far East, Part Fourth: Egypt and the Holy Land
Physical detail
In the Same Series
Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers in the Levant The Levant Drew's 1895 copy Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers in Northern Europe Northern Europe Drew's 1892 copy Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers in Great Britain and Ireland Great Britain and Ireland Drew's 1891 copy Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers in Mexico Mexico Drew's 1890 copy Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers on the Congo The Congo Drew's 1888 copy Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers in the Russian Empire Russian Empire Drew's 1887 copy Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers in the Far East, Part First: Japan and China Japan and China Drew's Undated; in circulation by Christmas 1892 copy Drew's copy of The Boy Travellers in South America South America Drew's 1886 copy
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Drew's copy of The Young Nimrods Around the World The Young Nimrods Around the World Drew's 1882 copy