The New Conquest of Central Asia: A Narrative of the Explorations of the Central Asiatic Expeditions in Mongolia and China, 1921-1930, inscribed by Roy Chapman Andrews and Walter Granger

Pp. l, 678, color frontispiece plate, 128 photo-plates, 12 text-figures, 3 large color folding maps at end.  Publisher's original orange cloth, lettered in black on the spine and front cover and with decorations printed in black, original printed orange dust jacket with black lettering and decorations, lg 4to. This is Natural History of Central Asia, volume 1. This volume presents the results of American Museum of Natural History expeditions to Mongolia and China in the years 1922-1930-truly a landmark of exploration in the early 20th Century. Contains separate chapters by Walter Granger, Clifford H. Pope and Nels C. Nelson and summary statements by 13 other members of the expeditions.  This is a very special association copy.  The volume is inscribed to J. V. A. MacMurray who was U. S. Assistant Secretary of State from 1924 to 1925 and was subsequently appointed Minister to China from 1925 to 1929.  The inscription reads: “To J. V. A. MacMurray with the appreciation and warm regards of Roy Chapman Andrews, Leader (and) Walter Granger, Second in Command.”  MacMurray assisted the Andrews and Granger expeditions with logistics and other aid while he served at Minister to China from 1925-1929.  In The New Conquest of Central Asia, MacMurray is mentioned three times on pages 345, 348 and 389.  In April 1928, Minister MacMurray, his wife and his sister visited Andrews’ camp at the beginning of the 1928 expedition.  The Minister helped the expedition pass through Kalgan by expediting passport approvals and waiving the road tax.  While serving in Peking, Minister MacMurray was also in contact with Dictator Marshal Chang Tso-lin whose permission was needed for the 1928 expedition to proceed.  This volume was purchased from the grandson of J. V. A. MacMurray, so the volume has remained in the MacMurray family until being offered now for sale.