Coomassie and Magdala. The Story of Two British Campaigns in Africa. STANLEY, Henry M.

First US edition of Stanley's account of his first expedition to Africa before he achieved fame by finding Livingstone. Coomassie and Magdala was first published in London earlier the same year. Stanley had covered Hancock's and Sherman's campaigns when he convinced the New York Herald to employ him as special correspondent on the British expedition to Abyssinia. "Having joined Sir Robert Napier's forces at Annesley Bay, in the Horn of Africa, he marched with them for two months, witnessing the storming of Tewodros's fortress at Magdala. His sensational dispatches were the first to reach Europe, and he was soon employed on a permanent basis by the Herald" (ODNB). It was on the strength of his reportage that, later the same year, the Herald's editor, James Gordon Bennett, sent him to find Livingstone. Howgego IV S57. Octavo. Wood-engraved frontispiece with tissue-guard and 15 plates, 2 folding maps, illustrations in text. Contemporary brown half morocco by Strikeman & Co., spine with raised bands tooled in gilt, compartments with gilt ornaments and lettering, brown marbled boards, marbled and gilt endpapers, top edges gilt, others untrimmed. Spine and extremities a little rubbed, spot of wear to outer edge of front board, board edges toned, map opposite p. 1 remounted on linen. A very good copy.