Scarce book: Guide des armées alliés en Chine ou dialogues sur les reconnaisances militaires en trois langues [Guide to the Allied Armies in China or Dialogues on Military Recognition in Three Languages] by Claude Philibert Dabry de Thiersant. First edition. Paris and London: Henri Plon & W. O. Mitchell, 1859. Hardcover bound in full red morocco with the gilt arms of Marshall Randon to both covers, all edges gilt, 5 x 7.25, 163 pages. Jointly published in Paris and London, this is the first edition of an extraordinary phrasebook for French and British officers in preparation for the second Opium War in China. The book opens with a list of Chinese provinces and their principal towns; this is followed by two pages of "Hygenic regulations to be observed in China" which end with classic advice: "Never take an afternoon's nap." The largest part of the phrase-book deals with reconnaissance of the coast, canals, gorges, mountains, forests etc., with different romanizations given for the French and English transliterations of the Chinese characters.
There are also some revealing chapters on how to deal with deserters and spies:
"What are you?"
"I am a fisherman."
"You lie; you are not a fisherman; I know you are a spy. Besides you have already deceived me. Prepare to die."
In very good to fine condition, with occasional mottled foxing to the textblock, heaviest to the title page.
Provenance: an important association copy, beautifully bound in armorial red morocco for Jacques Louis César Alexandre Randon, 1st Count Randon (1795-1871), who was the French Minister of War from 1859 to 1867, at the time of the Second Opium War. As a young soldier Randon had fought in Napoleon's 1812 Russian campaign and risen through the ranks to General and finally Marshall of France and Governor of Algeria.
