Welcome to Sir Richard F. Burton on the Web, a comprehensive web directory and guide to all things Burton.
Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890) frustrates simple description. Adventurer, linguist, scholar, swordsman, rogue, genius -- he possessed wild, monstrous talents and was burdened by defects nearly as grave. Continually at odds with the sentiments of his times, his translation of the Arabian Nights and sundry Indian and Persian amatory manuals scandalized society. At the same time, he was an unmistakable Victorian.
On this site you will find over 130 links, including biographies, selections from his works, academic articles, images and so forth. It is intended to offer some alternative to the nearly random results obtained by search engines (a certain homonymous Welsh actor is tough to shake).
Almost everything is off-site. As my own modest contribution, I offer scans of the illustrations from his Arabian Nights and a selection from his Priapeia.
Questions, site suggestions and comments can be sent to
[email protected]. I will reply to everything.
I hope you enjoy the site,
Tim Spalding Brookline, MA (USA)
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