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The Richard Burton Library

The Richard Burton Library

By: Sir Richard Francis Burton
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Enter The Richard Burton Library, wherein the curious listener may accompany that restless company of pilgrims, wanderers, merchants, poets, princes, and philosophers who people the books of Sir Richard Francis Burton. Here are his works read in full: voyages into Arabia, Africa, India, and the chambers of ancient story; observations of men and manners; translations from tongues remote and richly storied; and those strange byways of learning which Burton pursued with equal parts courage, appetite, and disdain for convention. For the lover of travel, letters, and the wider world, the road begins here.Public domain Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah Preface to the First Edition

    Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah Preface to the First Edition
    Jun 16 2026
    In which the author, adopting the guise of a respectful Muslim pilgrim, enjoys the serene and languid pleasures of Eastern life while taking refuge in a friend's hospitable home in Alexandria, all the while blending curiosity with patient observation of local customs and religious practices. The narrative softly unveils the complex social fabric of the city, including its sacred sites and enigmatic dervish orders, as the author prepares to assume the intriguing role of a wandering Darwaysh, a character both revered and feared in these lands.
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    9 mins
  • Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah Chapter I - To Alexandria

    Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah Chapter I - To Alexandria
    Jun 16 2026
    In which the restless traveller, having lingered with pleasant content in Alexandria, prepares to depart amid the cumbersome formalities and vexatious delays of securing a passport in a land caught between barbarism and nascent civilisation. Thus equipped with modest necessaries and a carefully contrived guise, he reflects with wry amusement on the peculiarities of Eastern officialdom and the subtle arts of surviving its infuriating labyrinth.
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    24 mins
  • Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah Preface to the Third Edition

    Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah Preface to the Third Edition
    Jun 15 2026
    In which the author sets forth the motivations and preparations for a daring pilgrimage into the heart of Arabia, seeking to explore its uncharted deserts, study its peoples and languages, and challenge prevailing geographical misconceptions. With a keen eye for detail and an appreciation for Oriental manners, he embarks on a voyage from London to Egypt, adopting the guise of a Persian traveller in his thoughtful pursuit of knowledge amidst unfamiliar and jealously guarded lands.
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    12 mins
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