Horned Moon: An Account of a Journey through Pakistan, Kashmir and Afghanistan – Ian Stephens

Horned Moon: An Account of a Journey through Pakistan, Kashmir and Afghanistan by Ian Stephens is an evocative and increasingly collectable mid-20th-century travel account documenting a remarkable journey through some of the most historically and politically significant regions of Central and South Asia. Published by Chatto & Windus in London, this copy is the Second Impression of November 1953, issued in the same month as the first publication.

Stephens, a British journalist and former editor of The Statesman in India, travelled extensively through Pakistan, the disputed territory of Kashmir and Afghanistan during the formative years following the Partition of British India. His narrative combines travel writing, political observation, history, landscape and encounters with the people of the region. Contemporary reviewers recognised the work for its observations on Pakistan and the Kashmir question, making Horned Moon particularly interesting today as a primary-period account of the region during the early 1950s.

The photographs add considerable documentary interest, capturing landscapes, communities and everyday life at a time when much of the region remained relatively inaccessible to Western travellers.

Condition – Fair

The green cloth hardcover itself presents well, with light general shelf wear and gilt spine lettering remaining visible. The original dust jacket is heavily worn, with rubbing, edge wear, chips, small losses and tears, particularly around the spine ends, corners and edges. The jacket has been repaired/reinforced internally with old decorative adhesive tape, with additional tape visible around the folds. Pages show age-related toning. Binding appears sound.