HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. ‘So he rose and lighted one lamp after another, till he had lighted the whole eighty and the palace seemed to dance with brilliancy.’ Beginning with the legend of King Shahryr, whose anger at his queen’s infidelity leads him to murder a new wife each day, Arabian Nights weaves together ancient folklore and magic in an anthology of fantastical and evocative stories dating from the ninth century. Rich with suspense, passion and tragedy, Sir Richard Burton’s celebrated translation continues to transport readers across oceans, to mystical lands and ancient palaces in tales such as ‘The Lovers of Bessorah’, The Fellah and His Wicked Wife’ and ‘The Hunchback’s Tale’.

This book was written in Sanscrit and provides a fascinating insight into a culture far removed from our own. Revealed is an ancient philosophy on love and how to treat women, both out of and in the bedroom. The book is of course most well known as a manual on how to reach a higher level of pleasure in one's sexual experience. The text was written by Vatsyana, who was and is renowned as the chief authority on Hindu erotic literature - Kama Sutra is literally translated as "Aphorisms on Love." Note - this version of the book is without illustrations.

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. ‘“For,” said he, “there never was nor is there one chaste woman upon the face of earth.”’ A collection of Persian, Arabian and Indian tales dating from the 9th century, Sir Richard Burton’s most well-known translation of Arabian Nights brings together ancient folklore and stories passed down from generation to generation. Featuring tales about love, history, tragedy and comedy as well as fables and fairy tales, this edition remains a well-loved collection of exotic and evocative stories. Fantastical and curious customs are bought to life by Burton’s translation in stories such as ‘The Lovers of Bassorah’, ‘The Concubine of Al-Maamun’ and ‘The Hunchback’s Tale’.

This book (hardcover) is part of the TREDITION CLASSICS. It contains classical literature works from over two thousand years. Most of these titles have been out of print and off the bookstore shelves for decades. The book series is intended to preserve the cultural legacy and to promote the timeless works of classical literature. Readers of a TREDITION CLASSICS book support the mission to save many of the amazing works of world literature from oblivion. With this series, tredition intends to make thousands of international literature classics available in printed format again - worldwide.

"The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana," in seven parts, with preface, introduction, and concluding remarks, is the classic translation of what is arguably the world's oldest sex manual and relationship advice handbook.

Much more than just erotic advice, this is a revelation of the social mores and customs of the ancient world and the daily lives of men and women in India, their views of intimacy, love and communication between the sexes -- all filtered through the British Victorian worldview and commentary of the translators. Instructions are given for wives, husbands, lovers, in-laws, courtesans, eunuchs, harems, go-betweens, matchmaking and breakups, compatibility, personal hygiene, and even recipes for potions to increase genital size and pleasure.

This edition strives to preserve the quaint charm of the original translation (1883), including uncommon spellings, and includes fifty-eight explicit classic interior illustrations.

Translated from the Sanskrit by Richard Burton, Bhagavanlal Indrajit, and Shivaram Parashuram Bhide.

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive.We are republishing many of these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

'To begin at the beginning: it is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black...' When Richard Burton breathed the opening words of Under Milk Wood into a microphone, broadcasting history was made. For this 'play for voices' conjures up the intimate dreams and waking lives of the inhabitants of a Welsh seaside village in a remarkable way. It is bawdy and beautiful; its colourful characters lust and love, gossip and fantasise. Through the magic of language, Under Milk Wood creates a rich modern pastoral which, once heard, touches the listener with its poetry and haunts the imagination for ever. This radio drama is the completed version broadcast in 1963 which includes several passages that were omitted from the first recording in 1954. 2 CDs. 1 hr 41 mins.

No library's complete without the classics! This new, enhanced leather-bound edition collects the beloved tales of Arabian Nights, translated by Sir Richard Burton. They are ancient stories, but they still enchant our imaginations today. Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Sinbad the Sailor. Aladdin. These and the other Middle Eastern stories collected in Arabian Nights are delightful, fascinating, and fun for fans and first-time readers alike. This beautiful, leather-bound edition collects the classic tales of Arabian Nights in a new, redesigned format. Specially designed end papers, gilded edges, a ribbon bookmark, and other decorative elements enhance the reading experience, while an expert introduction provides new information and context for these well-known stories. Arabian Nights is a compelling look at a long-gone culture--and the perfect addition to any home library.

Sir Richard Burton (1821 1890), the famous Victorian explorer, began his career in the Indian army in 1842. While in India he developed his linguistic talent, mastering more than forty different languages and dialects. He turned to writing books in the 1850s and, over the remaining forty years of his life, published dozens of works and more than one hundred articles. In this book, first published in 1856, Burton recounts his travels to Harar, a city in East Africa notorious for its slave trade activity. His plan was a challenging one, as it was believed that no European had been there before; upon arrival he claimed to be an agent of the British government and presented himself to the ruler of Harar. Burton was allowed to spend ten days there, and his account give a fascinating glimpse into a then unknown city and culture.

After discovering his new bride has been unfaithful, the vengeful King Shahriyar has her executed and begins sleeping with a different virgin every night, executing her the next morning. Eventually, no more virgins can be found, so the vizier's daughter volunteers herself. To spare her own life, she captures his attention with wild stories of adventure and chivalry--tales of mystical lands, the many voyages of Sindbad, of Ali Baba's forty thieves and of Aladdin's magical lamp. As one story leads into the next, the king is too enthralled to end her life.

The Kama Sutra is the oldest and most notable of a group of texts known generically as Kama Shastra . Traditionally, the first transmission of Kama Shastra or "Discipline of Kama" is attributed to Nandi the sacred bull, Shiva's doorkeeper, who was moved to sacred utterance by overhearing the lovemaking of the god and his wife Parvati and later recorded his utterances for the benefit of mankind. Some Indian philosophies follow the "four main goals of life," known as the purusharthas: 1. Dharma: Virtuous living. 2. Artha: Material prosperity. 3. Kama: Aesthetic and erotic pleasure. 4. Moksha: Liberation. Dharma, Artha and Kama are aims of everyday life, while Moksha is release from the cycle of death and rebirth. The Kama Sutra (Burton translation) says: "Dharma is better than Artha, and Artha is better than Kama. But Artha should always be first practiced by the king for the livelihood of men is to be obtained from it only. Again, Kama being the occupation of public women, they should prefer it to the other two, and these are exceptions to the general rule." (Kama Sutra 1.2.14)

This book comprises a translated collection of Neopolitan tales dating back to the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and translated into English by Sir Richard Burton - a sort of Italian Arabian Nights. The collection was published by Lady Burton after Richard Burton's death.