HAARDT (Georges-Marie) - AUDOUIN-DUBREUIL (Louis). - Lot 146

HAARDT (Georges-Marie) - AUDOUIN-DUBREUIL (Louis). The Citroën Raid: The First Trans-Saharan Motor Journey. From Touggourt to Timbuktu via Atlantis. Paris: Librairie Plon, 1924. — In-4, 275 x 242: frontispiece, XVII, 241 pp., (2 ff.), 12 plates, 2 maps, printed cover. Burgundy buffalo leather, framed with triple gilt fillet, gilt fleurons at the corners and a gilt metal emblem in the center on the covers, decorated ribbed spine, gilt headband, untrimmed, cover and spine preserved, slipcase (publisher’s binding). First edition, with a preface by André Citroën, of the account of this historic crossing, undertaken between December 17, 1922, and January 7, 1923. The authors, Georges-Marie Haardt (1884–1932) and Louis Audouin-Dubreuil (1887–1960), provide a detailed description of the Sahara’s magnificent landscapes, from the dunes of the Erg to the rugged massifs of the Hoggar, nicknamed here “Atlantis” in reference to the desert’s lost legends. But beyond the adventurous aspect, the book highlights a remarkable technical innovation. The Kégresse tracked vehicles, equipped with tracks adapted for sand, are analyzed in detail: their design, their performance, and the modifications necessary to withstand the extreme conditions of the desert. The authors explain how these vehicles, originally designed for warfare, were reimagined for exploration, paving the way for future expeditions such as the Black Cruise and the Yellow Cruise. The edition features a wealth of illustrations, including more than 150 black-and-white photographs—13 of which are full-page—as well as 16 compositions by Bernard Boutet de Monvel. It also includes two fold-out color maps. Spine faded and rubbed; cracking at the hinge of the front cover. The half-title page is missing. A few scattered foxing spots.