Ukers, William H. All About Coffee. $135.00

Octavo. English xiv, 818 p. col. front., illus. (incl. ports., music) col. plates., diagrs. New York: The Tea and Coffee Trade Journal Company, 1935. Second Edition.

The second and standard edition of this definitive work on the history and influence of coffee. Covers the historical, technical, scientific, commercial, social and artistic dimensions of coffee. A still unsurpassed work on the subject. Lavishly illustrated, with color plates. Bookseller Inventory # 1279

Ukers, William H. (William Harrison), 1873-1945.ALL ABOUT TEA . $145.00

Hardbound. Octavo. 2 v. fronts. (1 col.) illus. (incl. music) diagrs. 1143 pages. New York, The Tea and coffee trade journal company, 1935. New Copy. In this book Ukers claimed to have assembled, in their right order, all the essential facts about tea. This flyleaf declaration is no idle boast. In two volumes of 54 chapters and 1143 pages, is an authoritative compendium of information on historical, technical, scientific, commercial, social, and artistic aspects of tea. The origin of tea is lost in mists of antiquity; legend ascribes it to the reign of Shen Nung, a mythical Chinese emperor of the third millennium B.C. The first credible mention is placed at 350A.D. From there the story is carried through the introduction of tea into Japan, Europe, England, and America; through the romantic age of trade on the clipper ships-"Oriental," "Stag Hound," "Flying Cloud," "Lightning," "Westward Ho," "Taeping," "Ariel"; and through the spread of tea culture into Java, Sumatra, India, Ceylon, and other lands. A description of the world's leading growths of tea, with their market names and generalcharacteristics, is followed by a technical account of cultivation and manufacture in each of the principal producing countries, and an illuminating resume of the evolution of tea machinery. Under "scientific aspects" are chapters on the etymology,botany and histology, chemistry, pharmacology, and healthfulness of tea. The largest portion of the work, as might be expected, deals with commercial history and practice, which are set forth in panoramic, rather than dynamic, fashion. "Social Aspects" treat of tea as the "handmaiden of fashion and refinement," of present-day tea manners and customs and their relation to the art of leisure; of appliances and the art of tea-making; of ideas which enter into and grow from the inducements of advertisers. The final section deals with the celebration of tea in the fine arts. An appendix contains a tea chronology, a tea dictionary, and an exhaustive bibliography of 23 pages in fine print. A classic and still essential work. Lavishly illustrated. Bookseller Inventory # 1300

`Umarah ibn `Ali al-Hakami; Ibn Khaldun; Muhammad ibn Ya`qub Janadi; Henry Cassels Kay. YAMAN: Its Early Medieval History. Also the Abridged History of Its Dynasties / By Ibn Khaldun. And An Account Of The Karmathians Of Yaman / By Abu `Abd Allah Baha Ad-Din Al-Janadi. The Original Texts, With Translation And Notes / By Henry Cassels Kay. $95

Oversized octavo. Book xxv, 358 p., 1 l., 152 p., 1 large folding genealogical table, folding Map. London:  E. Arnold, 1892.

Yemen was one of the oldest centers of civilization in the Near East. Between the 9th century BC and the 6th century AD, it was part of the Minaean, Sabaean, Himyarite, Qatabanian, Hadhramawtian, and Awsanian kingdoms, which controlled the lucrative spice trade. It was known to the Romans as "Arabia Felix" ("Happy Arabia") because of the riches its trade generated; Augustus Caesar attempted to annex it, but the expedition failed.
In the 7th century, Islamic caliphs began to exert control over the area. After this caliphate broke up, the former north Yemen came under control of Imams of various dynasties usually of the Zaidi sect, who established a theocratic political structure that survived until modern times. (Imam is a religious term. The Shiites apply it to the prophet Muhammad's son-in-law Ali, his sons Hassan and Hussein, and subsequent lineal descendants, whom they consider to have been divinely ordained unclassified successors of the prophet.) Egyptian Sunni caliphs occupied much of north Yemen throughout the 11th century. By the 16th century and again in the 19th century, north Yemen was part of the Ottoman Empire, and in some periods its Imams exerted control over south Yemen.
This is a history of the Arabs of Yemen during the Medieval Period. It is a translation of `Umarah ibn early work on the subject. “Umarah ibn's reputation is primarily as a poet, but he is also a leading historian of his native country, Yemen.

Unruh, John D. Jr.   THE PLAINS ACROSS 1840-1860. $27.50

Cloth. Octavo.  Pictorial dust jacket.  Xx, 565 pages.  Urbana & Chicago:  University of Illinois Press, 1993.  Reprint of the 1979 edition.

This history of the American West was the most honored book ever released by the University of Illinois Press.  The Plains Across was the result of more than a decade's work by its author.  It remains the standard history of the Overland Emigrants and the Trans-Mississippi West from 1840-1860.  It has been described as "…the best book yet written on the overland journey…" Ray Billington, Washington Post Book World.  Others have described it as "…the most penetrating and comprehensive study of the epic Oregon-California migrations to date…" Merrill J. Mattes, Pacific Historical Review. Covered are all aspects of antebellum transcontinental travel, and especially the overland travels of the 1840s and 1850s, where perhaps 250,000 persons traveled to the Pacific Coast before the Civil War. The work also contains comprehensive notes, a bibliography and more than fifty illustrations.  A standard work.

Urban, Ignaz, 1848-. Bibliographia India Occidentalis Botanica.$60.00
Cloth. Octavo. pp. 195, 7, 13, 16. Reprinted from Symbolae Antillanae : Seu Fundamenta FloraeIndiae Occidentalis, 1898-1908

This scarce bibliography is reprinted from Symbolae Antillanae: Seu Fundamenta Florae Indiae Occidentalis ; v. 1, p. 1-195 ; v. 2, p. 1-7 ; v. 3, p. 1-13 and v. 5, p. 1-16.
Urban's work remains the standard bibliography of botany in the West Indies. Thousands of books and articles are cited. There are numerous bibliographical references in English, Spanish, French, Latin, Danish, or German. The critical remarks are in German. This bibliography is quite scarce. There are only 6 copies in American libraries. Though once reprinted in the 1960's, no copies are currently available.

Uricoechea, Ezequiel. MAPOTECA COLOMBIANA. COLECCION DE LOS TÍTULOS DE TODOS LOS MAPAS, PLANOS, VISTAS, ETC. RELATIVOS Á LA AMÉRICA ESPAÑOLA, BRASIL É ISLAS ADYACENTES. ARREGLADA CRONOLOGICAMENTE I PRECEDIDA DE UNA INTRODUCCION SOBRE LA HISTORIA CARTOGRÁFICA DE AMÉRICA. $50.00
Cloth. Oversized Octavo. pp. xvi, 215. London: Truebner & Company, 1860
Uricoechea's cartography is a standard work on American maps. The arrangement is by region and includes the following:
America in General
South America
California, Florida & Texas
Mexico
Antillas
Central America
Guayanas
Columbia
Nueva Granada
Venezuala
Brasil
Peru
Argentina, Uruguay & Paraquay
Chile
Patagonia e Islas del Pacifico

There are useful annotations, along with dimensions for each entry. Approximately 1200 maps are described. Especially strong in South and Central America.
Originally published in London [though in Spanish], this remains a difficult book to find. Keyguide to Information Sources in Cartography #128.

Uvarov, Aleksiei Sergieevich. & A. Ladrague. SCIENCES SECRÈTES. $55.00

Cloth. Oversized Octavo. ix, 217. Moscou: Imprimerie W. Gautier, 1870

Originally printed in 1870 in only 75 copies. Auguste Ladrague, a leading French intellect in 19th century Russia, prepared this catalog of the occult books in the library of Alexis Sergieevich Uvarov which had been formed by his father Serge. For noble families such as the Uvarov, Russian mysticism and the occult were very closely bound (Rasputin was not an accident). This collection of 1883 books contains important and rare early editions. Besterman 4301