African Game Trails. An Account of the African Wanderings of an American Hunter-Naturalist.

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1910. Signed limited first edition of Theodore Roosevelt's classic work. Large octavo, two volumes, original three-quarter tan pigskin, illustrated with tissue-guarded photographs, photogravures, drawings and a map of the route Roosevelt took through Africa. One of only 500 copies signed by Theodore Roosevelt on the limitation page of Vol. I, this is number 57. Typed letter signed on White House stationary by Theodore Roosevelt to Hon. Francis Hendricks dated November 27 1902 adhered to the flyleaf of Vol. I. The letter reads in part, "I am in receipt of your favor of the 26th instant and should like to be present at the dedication you refer to for more than one reason, not the least of them being your friendship which I appreciate and value. But it simply is not possible for me to go away from Washington at the time Congress is in session." Autograph letter signed by Theodore Roosevelt to the Secretary of War adhered to the flyleaf of Vol. II about a desire of two of his senators. In near fine condition with light toning to the first few pages of both volumes. Bookplate to the front pastedown, "Edward Laurence Doheny," and front free endpaper, "Carrie Estelle Doheny," of both volumes. Doheny was a successful oil tycoon who drilled the first oil well in the Los Angeles City Oil Field in 1892 and who is touted as having started the petroleum boom in Southern California. He and his second wife Carrie Estelle were also noted philanthropists in Los Angeles, contributing money to numerous schools, churches, and charities. "One of the most famous of all big-game hunting epics, this, with its larger than life sportsmen, was almost continuously in print until the 1930s. In British East Africa, Roosevelt hunted lion and plains game on the Kapiti Plains, while, in the Bondoni hill country, he collected rhinoceros and giraffe. On Juja Farm, his son Kermit faced leopard, while Teddy bagged rhino and hippopotamus. On the Kamiti River, buffalo were taken. Near the Sotik, additional rhino and lion were hunted, with elephant bagged near Mt. Kenia. On the Guaso Nyiro, giraffe and a variety of plains game were shot. Further adventures included hunting elephant near Lake Nyanza, rhino and plains game in the Lado, and eland on the Nile. Roosevelt’s total bag was enormous even by the liberal standards of that era" (Czech, 138-39).