Sir Richard Francis Burton – författare

Enjoy the timeless tales of Aladdin, Sinbad, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and many more in this first volume of The Arabian Nights. Upon learning of his queen’s infidelity, proud King Shahryar has her killed. As revenge on womankind, he decides to wed a different virgin every night, only to have her beheaded at dawn. Such is Shahryar’s practice for three terrible years—until he weds Scheherazade, the maiden who will change his life....A breathtaking beauty, Scheherazade is as learned as she is sensuous. Her first night with the king, she uses her imagination, her eloquence, and more than a little cunning to regale him with a tale of genies and wishes, wisely cutting the story short at dawn. The king is so beguiled, he cannot have her murdered without hearing the story’s end. From then on, Scheherazade spends nights conjuring stories of flying carpets and fantastical journeys, always stopping with a cliff-hanger—and saving her own life.This edition follows the unexpurgated translation of Richard F. Burton, the renowned Victorian explorer. Intricate and inventive, these stories within stories continue to captivate readers as they have for centuries.

‘The genius of Eastern nations,’ says an established and respectable authority, ‘was, from the earliest times, much turned towards invention and the love of fiction. The Indians, the Persians, and the Arabians, were all famous for their fables. Amongst the ancient Greeks we hear of the Ionian and Milesian tales, but they have now perished, and, from every account that we hear of them, appear to have been loose and indelicate.’ (Goodreads)

Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton''s 19th travelogue is simply fascinating. In disguise and (I''m assuming he''s accurate in this) at great risk to himself, Burton made a pilgrimage to Medina and Mecca. His intimate observations of customs, daily life, and travel in a foreign land are the sort that one sees best through the fresh eyes of an outsider, but normally an outsider would be denied that vantage. (Goodreads)

Vikram and the Vampire, translated and adapted by Sir Richard Burton, is a group of tales told by a baital (not really a vampire but a kind of spirit who can inhabit dead bodies) to King Vikram (described by Burton as the King Arthur of India). The stories are somewhat in the style of the tales of the Arabian Nights. (Goodreads)

Chock full of ethnographical information about the Muslims of Somalia, Richard Burton''s "First Footsteps in Africa" is a great look at a white man''s first forays into that area of the continent. (Goodreads)

(Excerpt): "The notes which form the ground-work of these volumes have long been kept in the obscurity of manuscript: my studies of South America, of Syria and Palestine, of Iceland, and of Istria, left me scant time for the labour of preparation. Leisure and opportunity have now offered themselves, and I avail myself of them in the hope that the publication will be found useful to more than one class of readers. The many who take an interest in the life of barbarous peoples may not be displeased to hear more about the Fán; and the few who would try a fall with Mister Gorilla can learn from me how to equip themselves, whence to set out and whither to go for the best chance. Travelling with M. Paul B. du Chaillu''s "First Expedition" in my hand, I jealously looked into every statement, and his numerous friends will be pleased to see how many of his assertions are confirmed by my experience."

(Excerpt): "Western Africa was the first field that supplied the precious metal to mediaeval Europe. The French claim to have imported it from Elmina as early as A.D. 1382. In 1442 Gonçales Baldeza returned from his second voyage to the regions about Bojador, bringing with him the first gold. Presently a company was formed for the purpose of carrying on the gold-trade between Portugal and Africa. Its leading men were the navigators Lanzarote and Gilianez, and Prince Henry ''the Navigator'' did not disdain to become a member. In 1471 João de Santarem and Pedro Escobar reached a place on the Gold Coast to which, from the abundance of gold found there, they gave the name of ''São Jorje da Mina,'' the present Elmina. After this a flood of gold poured into the lap of Europe; and at last, cupidity having mastered terror of the Papal Bull, which assigned to Portugal an exclusive right to the Eastern Hemisphere, English, French, and Dutch adventurers hastened to share the spoils."

Highly readable tales recount the rip-roaring adventures of swashbuckling pirates and buccaneers of the Spanish Main. Includes "The Ghost of Captain Brand," "Tom Chist and the Treasure Box," "Jack Ballister''s Fortunes," "The Ruby of Kishmoor," and other tales. (Goodreads)

Goa and the Blue Mountains, or, Six Months of Sick Leave is a travelogue written by Sir Richard Francis Burton, a British explorer and writer. The book details Burton''s journey through the Portuguese colony of Goa and the surrounding Blue Mountains in India. Burton writes about his experiences and observations of the local people, culture, and landscape. The book also includes descriptions of various historical and cultural sites, as well as Burton''s reflections on the state of British imperialism in India. Overall, the book is a blend of travel writing and cultural commentary, offering a glimpse into 19th-century colonial India.