KING COBRA: An Autobiograhy of Travel in French Indo-China.

New York 1927, Cosmopolitan. Black cloth, very good, 301p., 35 b. w. photos, folding color map, 15 x 23.5 cm., silver stamped front cover & spine, 15 x 23.5 cm., inside endpaper bookplate & small abraison, else clean. FIRST EDITION *** *** *** . . . AN EXCELLENT SOURCE ON SAIGON, SCULPTURES OF ANGKOR . . . APSARAS, STONE TEMPLES, CAMBODIAN KING'S ELEPHANTS, . . . THE KHMERS, LAOTIAN DANCERS, A.HANOI GARDEN . * The author traveled throughout Cochin-China, Cambodia and Laos in search of the ancient architectural stone ruins. He has written an exceptional narrative, laced with his travel experiences, impressions with the people, customs, flora and fauna. His description of the profane beauty, the tattooed men, concubines, gentle beauty of the women, the Me-Kong River, as he traversed the countryside. . * A keen work describing the people, culture, customs and his travels in Cambodia, Laos, old Annam & Tonking [N. Vietnam]. This is also a fascinating insight to his impression of Prince Phetsarath who was his guide around Vientiane. Nice views and commentaries on Angkor as well. Lovely primary insights to the area during the sleepy 1920's. . * This work is also a record of the author's quest to find the second of two magnificent cities in Cambodia, inhabited by the ancient Khmers: the first was the best known Angkor and the hitherto lost and vanished Wat-Phu. Wat-Phu was buried deep in the jungle, abandoned and lost since the second century A.D. It vanished suddenly, completely, mysteriously, and all that remained of it was smothered under eons of jungle growth. . * Written by Hervey, whose works led to such famous films as SHANGHAI EXPRESS [1932], starring: Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook, and directed by Josef von Sternberg. Also, his very memorable ROAD TO SINGAPORE [1940], starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. GREEN HELL [1940], AND GREEN HELL [1940], starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Joan Bennett, directed by James Whale. . * This work was based on the author's primary travels in Southeast Asia, Indo-China and that area. . * Exquisitely written, flamboyant vocabulary, distinct and elaborate descriptions in much detail and elaborate color. . *** PRESS REVIEWS: "King Cobra imparts all the tremendous excitement of coming upon a hidden treasure in the jungles of Indochina. Once I began to surrender to Hervey’s spell, I started as, perhaps, he did to lose all sense of where fact ended and fiction began." Pico Iyer . "Hervey sees the jungle one moment as a vindictive monster, he next as an annihilating river beneath which a whole civilization drowns." Margaret Mead . *** REFERENCE: . A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF HERVEY'S WRITINGS: . THE EUROPEAN INDIA [1913] . THE BLACK PARROT: A Tale of the Golden Chersonese [1923] . WHERE STRANGE GODS CALL [1924] . ETHAN QUEST: HIS SAGA [1925] . KING COBRA: An Autobiography of Travel in French Indo-China [1927]. The same contents published in the UK under title: TRAVELS IN FRENCH INDO-CHINA [1928] . CONGAI. [Mistress of Indochine] [1927] . RED ENDING [1928] . THE DAMNED DON'T CRY [1939] . THE IRON WIDOW [1931] . BARRACOON [1950] . And others. * WHO WAS HARRY HERVEY [1900-1951]: . Harry Hervey was born in Beaumont, Texas, on November 5th, 1900, but was educated in Savannah, Georgia and Tennessee. He started writing at about age eight and sold his first work to H. L. Mencken at the age of sixteen. He spent much of his life at Savannah’s old Desoto Hotel, as his mother was in charge of housekeeping from 1923 to 1957. . Hervey has traveled widely in Asia, Africa and the South Pacific. He authored twelve noels and numerous short stories and screenplays. Harry Hervey was a life-long bachelor and died at the age of fifty in New York on August 13th, 1951. He is buried next to his mother, Jane Louise Davis, in Bonaventure Cemetery. http://www.harryhervey.org/ *** .