Aage Krarup Nielsen's Travel Books
In the days before the Second World War, Doctor Aage Krarup Nielsen traveled the world. His travel accounts, published by Gyldendalske Boghandel, Copenhagen, in Denmark, were quite popular and issued in a variety of editions and bindings. All were generally available in both perfect bound and hardcover editions. The perfect bound editions are pretty standard oversized trade paperbacks with colorful covers while the hardcovers are usually quarterbound in brown, red, or green leather with marbled boards. Some full leather bindings are known to exist. On occasion shark or snake skin were used on the first editions but these materials do not tend to age as well as the calf. All are 8vo. Danish-language accounts.
For the collector, Nielsen's books are handsomely bound and lavishly illustrated. They offer both observation of an area along with significant history. As they are in Danish, they are not anywhere near as expensive as comparable volumes in English. I have attempted to construct a complete list of editions with known major variations as well as print run sizes. I hope this information will be of use.
The early editions (pre-1930) seem to be quite scarce while those from 1930 to 1945 are only slightly less hard to find. Editions issued after World War II until 1949 appear more regularly on the market. Finally, editions issued from 1950 onward are fairly uncommon. The most recent edition of any of these books that I can confirm to exist was issued in 1958. As can be seen from the edition sizes listed here, all of these books were issued in limited quantities compared to American print runs.
- 1921 - En Hvalfangerfærd, ten editions by 1948
* Antarctic Exploration, Falkland Islands, etc.
- 1st edition, 1921
- 2nd edition, 1935, (23,000 copies printed)
- 8th edition, 1942, (31,000 copies printed)
- 9th edition, 1945
- 10th edition, 1948
- 1923 - En Østerlandfærd
- 1st and only edition? 1923
- 1924 - Fra Mandalay til Moskva (From Mandalay to Moscow)
- 1st and only edition? 1924
- 1925 - Mads Lange Til Bali, five editions by 1949
- 1st edition, 1925
- 2nd edition, 1926
- 3rd edition, 1941
- 4th edition, 1944
- 5th edition, 1949, (38,000 copies printed)
- 1927 - Dragen Vaagner
- 1st edition, 1927
- 2nd edition, 1932
- 1928 - Mellem Kannibaler og Paradisfugle (Between Cannibals and Paradise)
- 1st and only edition? 1928
- 1929 - I Doktorbaad og Karriol, four editions by 1947
*Lapland.
- 1st edition, 1929
- 2nd edition, 1943
- 3rd edition, 1943, (18,000 copies printed)
- 4th edition, 1947
- 1931 - Perler og Palmer
- 1st and only edition? 1931
- 1932 - Fra Moskva til Persepolis (From Moscow to Persepolis), three editions by 1946
* Persepolis is an ancient city in Iran (Persia)
- 1st edition, 1932
- 2nd edition, 1945, (21,500 copies printed)
- 3rd edition, 1946
- 1933 - Helvedet Hinsides Havet (Hell Across the Sea), eightteen editions by 1949
* A history and travel account of French Guyana including the penal colony.
- 1st edition, 1933
- 15th edition, 1940, (25,000 copies printed)
- 16th edition, 1943
- 17th edition, 1944, (37,000 copies printed)
- 18th edition, 1949
- 1934 - Blandt Hovenjægere I Ecuador, 8 oplag 1935
- 1st edition, 1934
- 8th printing, 1935
- 1935 - Marco Polos Rejser (Marco Polo's Travels), 7 oplag 1935
- 1st and only edition? 1935, (5,000 copies printed)
- 1937 - Sol Over Mexico (Sun Over Mexico), eight editions by 1950
- 1st edition, 1937
- 7th edition, 1937
- 8th edition, 1950, (24,000 copies printed)
- 1939 - Aloha, five editions by 1947
* Hawaii, Fiji, Tahiti, etc.
- 1st edition, 1939, (13,000-14,000 copies printed)
- 2nd edition, 1941, (20,000 copies printed)
- 3rd edition, 1943, (26,000 copies printed)
- 4th edition, 1945
- 5th edition, 1947, (40,000 copies printed)
* The fifth edition is significantly edited. Several risque photos were deleted.
- 6th edition, 1953?
- 1940 - Hans Falk fra Maketu
- 1st and only edition? 1940
- 1942 - Landeet Med Lykkelige Smil (Land of the Fortunate Smile), three editions by 1947
- 1st edition, 1942
- 2nd edition, 1943
- 3rd edition, 1947, (24,000 copies printed)
- 1944 - Paa Krydstogt Mod Ny Guinea, three editions by 1945
- 1st edition, 1944
- 3rd edition, 1945
- 1946 - Fra En Helt Anden Verden, two editions by 1950
- 1st edition, 1946, (12,000 copies printed)
- 2nd edition, 1950
- 1947 - Gensyn Med Østen (Return to the East), two editions by 1948
- 1st edition, 1947, (12,000 copies printed)
- 2nd edition, 1948, (22,000 copies printed)
- 1949 - Kimono og Khaki (Kimono and Khaki)
* Occupied Japan.
- 1st and only edition? 1949, (15,000 copies printed)
- 1951 - Fra Korea Til Bali (From Korea to Bali)
* Korean War.
- 1st and only edition? 1951, (12,000 copies printed)
- c. 1954 - Merdeka
- 1st and only edition? circa 1954
- c. 1956- Sorte Sorgløse Haïti
- 1st and only edition? circa 1956
- 1958 - De Gyldne Pagoders Land (Land of Golden Pagodas)
* Burma
- 1st and only edition? 1958
Please send additions and corrections to this list to Matthew Gore. I collect these volumes and am always interested in trading for books that I do not have. I also have copies for sale every now and then.
Page compiled August 26, 2001.
Updated September 30, 2001.
Revised December 5, 2001.
Revised September 10, 2002