Tales from the Arabian Nights by Anonymous, Sir Richard Francis Burton (Translator); 2012. Hardcover.

The tales told by Shahrazad over a thousand and one nights to delay her execution by the vengeful King Shahriyar have become among the most popular in both Eastern and Western literature. From the epic adventures of "Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp" to the farcical "Young Woman and her Five Lovers" and the social criticism of "The Tale of the Hunchback", the stories depict a fabulous world of all-powerful sorcerers, jinns imprisoned in bottles and enchanting princesses. But despite their imaginative extravagance, the Tales are anchored to everyday life by their realism, providing a full and intimate record of medieval Islam.

Sir Richard Francis Burton (1921-1890) was a world traveler and adventurer whose larger than life exploits included the expedition with John Speke to find the source of the Nile River and trips taken in disguise to Medina, Mecca and other sacred cities. He began translating the eastern folktales known as The Araian Nights in the 1850's and published them in multiple volumes between 1884 and 1886.

Very attractive Fall River Press edition.