THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights Entertainments Made and Annoted by Richard F. Burton

6 volumes. LIMITED EDITION, one of only 1500 hand-numbered copies SIGNED by the illustrator, Valenti Angelo. Decorated throughout the text with illustrations from the drawings of Valenti Angelo. Large 8vos, publisher's original bindings of paper-covered boards decorated with drawings by Valenti Angelo and backed in tan morocco, black-stamped in an arabesque fashion, the binder of the volumes being the Estate of H. Wolff. Four of the six volumes with the rarely retained glassine wrappers, the volumes in pairs in the three original paper-covered slipcases with printed paper labels. An exceptionally fine set, the books appear to have never been used are unusually fresh and are essentially as mint, the rare glassine wrappers with some chipping and loss at the spine panels, the slipcases only with a little general mellowing from age and very minor wear at a few edges or corners.

Edizione: the limited edition club arabian nights, in which sir richard burton's translation has been followed faithfully as originally issued in 1885. there are no expurgations and no abridgments. captain burton's original 1885 introduction is included, as are all of his explanatory annotations. this is a very attractive and yet sill affordable edition of one of the truly great works in world literature.<br> the edition was designed by george macy himself. the text was printed on paper from whitehead and alliger at the printing house of william edwin rudge.emile van vliet served as general editor of the text. burton's arabian nights was the first multi-volume work to be issued by the l.e.c.<br> the original edition was published in benares in 1885 and printed by the kamashastra society for private subscribers only. when the translation was published, a note from the publisher gave some indication of the book’s contents and the atmosphere of the victorian society into which it was born: “memorandum. in issuing this first volume of ‘the nights,” captain burton begs to remind all who have honoured him by subscribing to it, that the work is intended only for those that wish to study the peculiarities of moslem life and arabo-egyptian manners, customs, and language. it is emphatically a book for men and students; and nothing could be more repugnant to the translator’s feelings than the idea of these pages being placed in any other hands than the class for whose especial use it has been prepared. in this essential matter the writer trusts confidently to the good faith of his subscribers.”<br> richard burton was one of the foremost linguists of his time, an explorer, poet, translator, ethnologist, and archaeologist, among other things. ‘the thousand nights and a night’ is probably the most famous of all his many works. this translation reflected his encyclopedic knowledge of arabic language, sexual practices and life: “it reveals a profound acquaintance with the vocabulary and customs of the muslims, with their classical idiom,” [ency britt] as well as colloquialisms, philosophy, modes of thought and intimate details. in contrast to victorian mores, burton was driven to explore what would now be called by literary critics the uncanny/unheimliche or the unresolvable tensions of human beings. accordingly, he recorded details of daily life and practices that were considered vulgar at the time. <br> “the arabian nights” have been traced back to an ancient persian masterpiece, the “hazar afsanah” or “thousand tales.” the stories themselves can be dated from between the 8th and the 16th centuries and were for popular entertainment.