See Lebanon – Selected Trips, with History and Pictures

Description

LebanonPostcard presents the rare book See Lebanon – Over 100 Selected Trips, with History and 250 Pictures – Revised Second Edition – Bruce Condé – Harb Bijjani Press, Beirut, Lebanon 1960 – Softcover book, 21×14.5 cm, 580 pages.

Colonel and Mrs. William A. Eddy of Beirut and Sidon
The most enthusiastic patrons of these trips through Lebanon, in appreciation of their assistance and encouragement, this book is respectfully dedicated.

PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION (Part of)

Lebanon is full of scenic and historic spots, most of which can be reached in a half-day or less.

Some are in and around Beirut, requiring only an hour or two to visit. Even the extreme ends of the country can be covered in single-day trips by bus, “service” taxi, or private car.

This book, which assembles in geographical order, radiating from Beirut, a series of trips to the most interesting places in Lebanon, is based on a number of similar travelogues in Sunday editions of the Beirut «Daily Star» between 1952 and 1956.

Early readers of the «Daily Star», including Colonel and Mrs. William A. Eddy, used to keep files of the travel articles in order to take the trips whenever convenient, but some copies were loaned to friends and others misplaced. Colonel Eddy eventually gave what was left of his file to former U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Raymond Hare, who, along with others arriving here after the beginning of the series, had been unable to complete it.

As back numbers gradually became unavailable, would-be-travellers besieged the writer for loan copies or for compilations of all of the trips.

To meet this demand, 60 of the articles were compiled into a first edition of this book and released in connection with Homecoming and Tourist Year 1955. During the balance of 1955 and throughout 1956 more than 80 additional travelogues were published in the «Star». All of these except some 30 in and around Tripoli have been added to the present edition. At the same time, eight detailed articles on Byblos, which appeared in the first edition, were removed in favor of a single consolidated piece on that site.

The reason for the transfer of detailed data on Byblos and Tripoli to separate booklets is not difficult to guess when one considers the thickness of the present volume and the reduction of its format to more or less pocket size.

«Byways of Byblos», which has gone through two English-language editions (4 printings) and a German translation, now contains over 150 pages and is still growing, as new discoveries and reconstructions occur in Byblos.

FOREWORD TO FIRST EDITION

In 1953, when Beirut writer Bruce Condé approached me to see if I would jot down a few words of introduction to his first travel book on Lebanon «Byways of Byblos», I was happy to call our residents’ and visitors’ attention to that medieval walled city and to its earlier evidence of this country’s 7,000 years of civilization.

But, at the same time, it was noted that «Byways» was merely the elaboration of a single example of one of Mr. Condé’s long series of weekly travel articles in the Beirut «Daily Star», and that Newly arrived visitors were unable to get copies of earlier articles.

In order to make the whole series of trips to date available to those who have not seen those of the past two years, and in particular to provide a handy, practical guide for our many expected
emigrés and other visitors during this Homecoming and Tourist Year of 1955, Mr. Condé has compiled all of his Lebanon trips into the present volume.

We of the Tourist Bureau, who have maintained a well-used file of clippings of this series during the past two years, are delighted to see the trips gathered into a single, handy volume, and we are sure that this will also prove pleasing to others who have long looked forward to such a compilation.

It is with distinct pleasure that I welcome the present book and hope that it will help to acquaint local residents and visitors from overseas alike with the diverse scenic and històric beauties and sites of this land.

MICHEL TOUMA
Director of Tourism
Republic of Lebanon

Beirut, Homecoming Year 1955

LebanonPostcard will be responsible for sending the book you order, through a fast courier with a tracking number, guaranteeing reception of the package. The souvenirs may take three to five days to arrive, according to the country they are sent to.