As the largest Arabian horse library in the world open to the public, the W. K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Library (WKKAHL) has thousands of books from which to choose. Out of all those titles, which twenty five to recommend to the Arabian breeder is a difficult decision. It is similar to one having to be made out of necessity at the present time because the WKKAHL will be moving into small, temporary quarters in June for six months due to asbestos abatement and earthquake retrofitting. Which books should go into storage and which should be kept out for reference purposes and for the use of visitors?

The books on this list are all classics—the best of the best. Many others could have been selected, and on a different day, they might have been. However, choices had to be made. There is quite a variety to be found here. Books representing breeding programs that have had a major impact on the Arabian horse as we know him today. Books that were written by the leading scholars of the day. Books that tell a famous story, describe a momentous trip, or simply impart the author’s love for this most beautiful and ancient breed.

These books come from around the world and may or may not be available in English. Some of them are from long ago, while others are more current. Many of them, unfortunately, are out-of-print and seldom seen except in a library. Some of the editions on this list are the most rare, valuable, and beautiful of the particular titles. Yet all of these publications have one thing in common—they have stood the test of time. All breeders should be aware of the information in them in order to have a good foundation in Arabian horse history because the most knowledgeable breeders have tended to breed the best horses.

The Authentic Arabian Horse and his Descendants by Lady Judith Anne Dorothea Wentworth, 1945.
Lady Wentworth’s masterpiece on the breed. She was the daughter of Wilfrid Scawen Blunt and Lady Anne Blunt who founded the world famous Crabbet Park Stud in England. Lady Wentworth drew on her very broad knowledge of the Arabian horse to present its history, characteristics, and use in creating other breeds. Contains excerpts from Lady Anne Blunt’s diaries, and photographs of many famous foundation Arabians. This edition, long out-of-print, contains 388 pages, 265 half-tone plates, and 26 color plates, including numerous examples of the artwork of both Lady Anne Blunt and Lady Wentworth. A magnificent book, and no library can be considered complete without it.

The Arabian, War Horse to Show Horse by Gladys Brown Edwards, 1969.
An outstanding reference book for anyone interested in learning about the origins of the breed and its history. The author was perhaps the greatest historian the breed has ever known. She was also a noted artist and expert on equine anatomy. Here she has given us a source book packed with information based on historical facts acquired from years of serious research. Extensive coverage of Arabians in the United States, including information about their backgrounds, pedigrees, and the individuals or stud farms that bred them. Other topics include Arabian racing, lists of importations through the 1960s, the history of Arabian horse shows in America, and champion statistics. Contains an index of horses and an excellent bibliography. Over 180 black and white photos as well as numerous tables and charts, 304 pages.

The Horse of the Desert by W. R. Brown, 1929.
W. R. Brown was the owner of the Maynesboro Stud in New Hampshire and a President of the Arabian Horse Club of America (the Registry). He travelled extensively and visited remount studs in Europe, Algeria, and Tunisia. He went to Arabia to study the Arabian horse among the desert tribes. This is Brown’s comprehensive account of the Arabian horse. Many photographs which accompany the text are from his travels. Subjects covered include the habitat; origin and history; anatomical, physical, and mental qualities; bloodlines; closely related breeds; and usefulness for the cavalry of the Arabian. Numerous editions have been printed, but it is the Derrydale Press editions of 1929 that are the most desirable. Only 75 copies were made of the de luxe edition in green leather and cloth (of which the WKKAHL has one), and only 750 copies of the first edition in blue cloth with gilding were printed. Highly collectible, 218 pages.

Travels in Arabia Deserta by Charles Montagu Doughty, 1888 (2 vols.)
This is thought to be one of the first major works on the Arabs of the Desert. A timeless literary classic about the Arab world with Doughty’s penetrating description of bedouin life including commentary on their horses. The name “Doughty” has been greatly revered for over one hundred years, and the Blunts even dedicated The Celebrated Romance of the Stealing of the Mare to him. Illustrated with line drawings and a large color fold-out map of North Western Arabia and Negd with Doughty’s itinerary from 1875-1878 marked. The first edition of this fine work is very pricey and in demand by collectors of Middle-Eastern subject matter, thus making such copies hard to obtain for Arabian breeders. Reprinted many times.

Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates by Lady Anne Blunt, 1879 (2 vols.)
The preface and some chapters are by the author’s husband Wilfrid Scawen Blunt. An important publication describing desert life and politics at the height of the Bulgarian War. Details of the Blunts’ travels in the Middle East in 1877 and 1878 and their initial acquisition of Arabian breeding stock. Contains entirely charming sketches by Lady Anne Blunt including one of the lovely mare Sherifa.

A Pilgrimage to Nejd, the Cradle of the Arab Race by Lady Anne Blunt, 1881 (2 vols.)
An account of the Blunts’ second trip to Northern Arabia beginning in 1878. Description of their travels into the Euphrates valley and on into Persia, and their experience with and interest in the horses of the Nejd including those in the famed stud of Ibn Rashid. Again illustrated with drawings by Lady Anne Blunt.

The Celebrated Romance of the Stealing of the Mare by Abu Obeyd, 1930.
A tale which has been famous for over 900 years in Egypt and North Africa. Lady Anne Blunt translated the original Arabic text, and Wilfrid Scawen Blunt put it into verse. A story of romance and intrigue with the hero being the Emir Abu Zeyd of the Beni Helal who steals the famed grey mare of Agheyli Jaber in order to unite two lovers. The Gregynog Press edition of 1930 is possibly the most beautiful Arabian horse book ever printed. The illustrations of illuminated plate and initial letters were done by hand. Only 275 copies were made, and the WKKAHL has number 246. The 1892 edition may be older, but it cannot compare with that done by Gregynog in 1930.

Nachrichten von der Pferdezucht der Araber und den Arabischen Pferden by Karl Wilhelm Ammon, 1834.
This volume remains one of the standard works for the friend and breeder of the Arabian horse. Its place in the library of the serious student of the breed is earned by its being one of the earliest known books devoted entirely to the Arabian horse. A collection of basic information and knowledge, it lays the groundwork for a great deal of later research. Text is in German, 409 pages.

El Kamsa, il Cavallo Arabo Purosangue by Carlo Claudio Camillo Guarmani, 1864.
In Italian, the author writes about the purebred Arabian horse and its five traditional strains: Kuhaylan, Ubayyan, Saqlawi, Hamdani, and Hadban; and a system to use the Arabian to improve other breeds. This book is a result of the author’s 16-years of studying horses in Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and the Arabian desert. Guarmani was fluent in Arabic and his knowledge of the desert tribes perhaps rivalled that of Doughty’s. His horse-buying expertise was utilized by the French Government and the King of Italy. An English translation, The Pure-Bred Arabian Horse, was published in 1984.

The Arabian Horse, his Country and People, with Portraits of Typical or Famous Arabians and Other Illustrations by Major-General William Tweedie, 1894.
An early and complete treatise about the Arabian horse and the Arab people. Tweedie was a British officer who developed a love of horses, and a desire to observe the Arabian in his native land, during active service in India. When he was reassigned to Baghdad, he took the opportunity to compose this book in his free time between 1885-1891. An impressive edition with especially beautiful binding. Well-illustrated throughout, 411 pages.

Gleanings from the Desert of Arabia by Major Roger D. Upton, 1881.
Upton’s trip to Arabia with descriptions of the habitat, peoples (“Badaweens”), and Arabian horses of the Anazeh and Shammar. An often-consulted source for many of the best historians of the breed, 399 pages. The WKKAHL’s copy is from the personal library of pioneer American Arabian breeder Spencer Borden.

Les Chevaux du Sahara by General Melchior Joseph Daumas, 1851.
The original French text from which The Horses of the Sahara was translated. A standard and well-known work covering not only Arabians but also Barbs and Turks as well. As the title implies, Daumas focused on the horses as found in the Sahara (in Africa) not in Arabia proper. Covers the origin, training, grooming, breeding, war usages, and purity of blood of the Arabian horse. Interspersed with remarks by the Emir Abd-el-Kader. Always immensely popular, Daumas’ classic has been published many times, and in multiple languages, including English, 384 pages.

En Busca del Caballo Arabe. Comision a Oriente. Turquia.—Siria.—Mesopotamia.—Palestina. Memorias del Viaje by Luis Azpeitia de Moros, 1915.
De Moros was a horseman and member of the party sent by the Spanish government to buy Arabian horses in the desert. This is his description of the trip and the horses that were seen. An unusual amount of detail is given about the conformation of the horses, but this isn’t too surprising as one of the other Spaniards was a veterinarian. The expedition began in 1905 which was the year before Homer Davenport went to the desert, and interestingly enough, Davenport used some of the same routes as the Spanish group. Numerous photographs are to be found in the book, and many are probably of Arabians for which no other images exist. The author has also provided a list of strains of Arabians as well as a list of all the horses purchased, including each horse’s name, color, age, height, strain, and place of purchase. In Spanish, 299 pages.

Kniga ob Arabskoi Loshadi by Prince Aleksandr Grigorevich Shcherbatov and Count Sergei Aleksandrovich Stroganov, 1900.
In Russian. A rare overview of the Arabian horse written from the Russian perspective, prior to the Russian Revolution. Covers the significance and origin of the Arabian, geography of the Arabian and Syrian deserts, information about the Arabian horse (horses of Ibn Rashid in Hail, status of horsebreeding in Arabia, writings of Lady Anne Blunt, Baron Eduard Noble, and Eduard Loffler), descriptions of contemporary Arabian breeding programs in Europe (Wurttemberg, Neishtadt, Pompadour, Babolna, Stroganov (now Tersk), and Blunt), and opinions of Russian Arabian breeders such as Prince Sangushko on the importance of Arabian blood. Includes photographs (among them Stroganov’s Gomussa, Samira, Latifa, Adua, Emir El-Arab, Sherrak, and Sotamm El-Kreish; and Shcherbatov’s Faris and El Kader; as well as photographs of Sobha and Mesaoud (both sold to Russia), appendices (including strain/sub-strain tables and lists), and a short list of references, 175 pages. An English translation was produced in 1989 under the title, The Arabian Horse: A Survey.

Ungarns Pferdezucht in Wort und Bild by Count Carl Gustav Wrangel, 1893-1895 (4 vols.)
Title translates to Hungarian horse breeding in word and picture. Volumes I and II cover the state studs and Volumes III and IV the private studs. Arranged according to region. Focuses on Arabians, Thoroughbreds, and Warmbloods. It has a great deal of detail about the Arabians at the state stud farms of Babolna and Mezohegyes, prior to 1900, including lists of imports, descriptions of the horses, and methods of breeding. A very important work documenting the early history of one of the most influential Arabian breeding establishments in the world, Babolna. Illustrated with line drawings and maps. In German.

Chevaux de Races Orientales aux Haras de S. M. le Roi de Wurttemberg by l’Institut Royal de Lithographie a Stouttgart, 1823.
Lithographs of 18 foundation Arabian imports at the historic stud farms Weil (founded in 1817) and Scharnhausen (founded in 1810c.) owned by the King of Wurttemberg. Illustrations drawn from life by Rudoph Kuntz. Introduction by Count Venzeslas Rzevousky. Eight mares: Hasfoura, Dscheran Bassan, Geiran, Beko, Derbendisch, Schakra, Saridan, and Dongola; and ten stallions: Gumusch Bournou, Cheraky, Tayar, Achwerdow, Mameluck, Ali Bey, Emir, Mirza, Dahman, and Hurschid are depicted. These are very rare drawings of horses that made an enormous contribution to the breed as we know it today. As an example, some of them are to be found in the pedigree of the noted Weil sire Amurath 1881, and his male-line descendant Amurath Sahib, the broodmare sire of US National Champion Mare *Dornaba (x Darda by Amurath Sahib) and US National Champion Stallion *Bask (x Balalajka by Amurath Sahib). In French.

The Crabbet Arabian Stud: Its History and Influence by Rosemary Archer, Cecil Covey, and Colin Pearson, 1978.
Story of the most famous Arabian breeding establishment in the world, the Crabbet Arabian Stud, and its founders Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, Lady Anne Blunt, and their daughter Lady Wentworth. Excerpts from the family’s papers and publications. An incredible collection of black and white photographs. Includes the personal reminiscences of Cecil Covey who spent most of his life at Crabbet and inherited it when Lady Wentworth died. Considering the importance of Crabbet breeding, this is an essential volume for every library. A very well done book with comprehensive coverage of the subject, 392 pages.

The Kellogg Arabian Ranch: The First Sixty Years: A Chronicle of Events, 1925-1985 by Mary Jane Parkinson, 1984.
A very important book for anyone interested in learning about the world famous Kellogg Ranch, which was founded by breakfast food magnate W. K. Kellogg in 1925. The former Kellogg Ranch, now known as California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, has the distinction of being the oldest continuous Arabian breeding program, in the same location, in the United States. The author has done an excellent job of presenting the story of this remarkable establishment which comes alive within these pages. From the purchase of the Ranch, to the design of the facilities, to the purchases of the horses, to the Sunday Shows (which introduced many to the Arabian horse), to the celebrities (Rudolph Valentino, Clara Bow, Gary Cooper, and Olivia De Havilland) to the royalty (Princes Faisal and Talal of Saudi Arabia), to the horses themselves (Jadaan, *Raseyn, *Nasik, *Rossana, Antez, Abu Farwa, Farana, and *Rissletta), and to the personalities (W. K. Kellogg and his family, Lady Wentworth, W. R. Brown, Carl Schmidt, H. H. Reese, Gladys Brown Edwards), we learn about these topics and many more. Over 570 black and white photographs, 541 pages. A ten-year update is expected late this year.

Caballos Arabes del Haras “El Aduar” by Guillermo Bond, 1946.
Story of the Arabian breeding program of Hernan Ayerza at his stud farm El Aduar in Argentina. Ayerza was a very prominent breeder (many considered him on a par with the Blunts) in South America. He imported Arabians from Crabbet as well as directly from the desert. This book includes pictures he took in the Middle East in 1898 of horses he purchased there. Contains one of the best collections of Arabic hujjaj (authenticated pedigrees of Arabian horses) ever printed. Quite a rare book, 109 pages. Presentation copy to General J. M. Dickinson.

My Quest of the Arabian Horse by Homer Davenport, 1909.
Davenport’s account of his travels through Arabia and his significant importation of Arabian mares and stallions from the desert. Among his purchases were the stallions *Haleb, *Hamrah, and *Deyr; and the mares *Abeyah, *Urfah, and *Wadduda (tail female ancestress of the great Khemosabi). Davenport was a famous American cartoonist and his sketches are liberally sprinkled throughout the book, as are photographs documenting the journey. His 1906 trip was sponsored by President Theodore Roosevelt and financed by Peter B. Bradley. A very enjoyable read, 276 pages.

Asil Arabians: The Noble Arabian Horses by the Asil Club, 1977.
Produced by the Asil Club, an international organization (based in Germany) which is devoted to the preservation and breeding of Arabians that trace exclusively to bedouin stock, this book provides information (both historical and current) about horses that meet the Club’s definition. Text is in German and English (on facing pages). This is an ongoing series. Volume I was produced in 1977, followed by Volume II in 1980, Volume III in 1985, Volume IV in 1993, and Volume V in 2000. Includes a section of photographs and pedigrees for horses owned by members. Absolutely sumptuously illustrated with examples of artwork featuring the Arabian and by such artists as Carle and Horace Vernet, Victor Adam, Sir Edwin Landseer, Eugene Delacroix, P. J. Mene, Theodore Gericault, and J. F. Herring. In fact, the reproductions have been done so well that more than one Arabian art dealer has been known to cannibalize the books in order to sell the images as framed prints.

The Classic Arabian Horse by Judith Forbis, 1976.
It would be difficult to find anyone in the world with more knowledge of the Egyptian Arabian than Judith Forbis who, with her husband Don, owns Ansata Arabian Stud. The author spent many years studying the Arabian in the Middle East, and this is readily apparent from reading her book. The results of her research she presents here in a detailed history of the Arabian horse from its time of introduction in Egypt to the present day. The Egyptian Arabian in both Egypt and around the world is presented. A description and drawings of the “classic” Arabian horse are provided. Illustrated with 217 photographs (including those of Ibn Rabdan, Negma, *Tuhotmos, Nafaa El Saghira, *Ansata Ibn Halima, Mona, Mabrouka, Moniet El Nefous, Antar, Bint Helwa, El Araby, Nazeer, and Ghadia, etc.) and reproductions of ancient and modern art, 431 pages.

50 Years of Breeding Pure Blood Arabian Horses in Poland in Their Genealogical Charts, 1918-1968 by Zdzislaw Rozwadowski, 1972.
Invaluable reference material for anyone interested in Polish Arabian horses with information either not found anywhere else or not easily obtained (and certainly not in one source like this). Arabians arranged by dam lines and sire lines. Each horse is identified by sire and dam, birth date, place of foaling, date of importation or exportation, color, racing record, etc. Has a summary of the history of breeding Arabians in Poland, including commentary on the breeding farms, many of which no longer exist. The horse index makes it much more convenient to use than the Polish stud books (although not every horse in the stud books will be found here). Illustrated with black and white photographs, 246 pages.

The Raswan Index by Carl Reinhard Raswan, 1957-1967 (7 vols.)
A multi-volume set of well over 1,000 pages compiled by Carl Raswan, who was a prolific writer of Arabian horse books and articles. It is an alphabetical index of all things related to the Arabian horse that the author thought important. The Raswan Index was a huge undertaking, especially considering that it was completed in the days prior to personal computers when handling this amount of data with perfect accuracy must have been next to impossible. The lack of sources cited also presents a problem for scholars. Even with these shortcomings, it is still of vast importance as a reference work. Illustrated with maps, charts, and an excellent selection of photographs. The first edition was printed in numbers ranging from 250 to 380 copies, depending on the volume.

Imported Foundation Stock of North American Arabian Horses by Carol Woodbridge Mulder, 1969-1972 (2 vols.)
A unique and extremely useful publication about the first Arabians imported and registered in North America. The horses are presented in numerical order. Each entry includes information about its pedigree, breeder, strain, and offspring, as well as at least one photograph (if available, and most have them) and a conformation analysis. Contains sire line and family line charts, background material on breeders, and many rare photographs. Volume II has a wonderful section on the variety of colors (even parti-color) and markings found in Arabians, and although it is in black and white, it is still fascinating. First published in two volumes. Horses numbered 1 – 232 (*Nejdme-*Nimr) are in Volume I and horses numbered 233-485 (*Leopard-*Kola) are in Volume II. The first editions of Volumes I and II are out-of-print, but revised editions (now in 3 volumes and running through horse number 518) are currently available.

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This page was updated on Thursday, 26 May 2005