The Ultimate Ambition in the Arts of Erudition (Paperback, abridged edition annotated edition)

An astonishing record of the knowledge of a civilization, The Ultimate Ambition in the Arts of Erudition catalogues everything known to exist from the perspective of a 14th-century Egyptian scholar and litterateur. More than 9,000 pages and 30 volumes--here abridged to one volume, and translated into English for the first time--it contains entries on everything from medieval moon-worshiping cults, sexual aphrodisiacs, and the substance of clouds, to how to get the smell of alcohol off one's breath, the deliciousness of cheese made from buffalo milk, and the nesting habits of flamingos. Similar works by Western authors, including Pliny's Natural History, have been available in English for centuries. This ground-breaking translation of a remarkable Arabic text--expertly abridged and annotated--offers a look at the world through the highly literary and impressively knowledgeable societies of the classical Islamic world. Meticulously arranged and delightfully eclectic, it is a compendium to be treasured--a true monument of erudition.

General

Imprint:	Penguin Classics
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	October 2016
Authors:	Shihab Al-Din Al-Nuwayri
Translators:	Elias Muhanna
Dimensions:	196 x 129 x 16mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	318
Edition:	abridged edition annotated edition
ISBN-13:	978-0-14-310748-4
Languages:	English
Subtitles:	Arabic
Categories:	Books > Reference & Interdisciplinary > Encyclopaedias & reference works > General encyclopaedias Books > Language & Literature > Literature: texts > Essays, journals, letters & other prose works > General Books > Humanities > History > Asian / Middle Eastern history > General Books > History > Asian / Middle Eastern history > General
LSN:	0-14-310748-8
Barcode:	9780143107484

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