First published in 1959, this reprint of the first edition of Edward FitzGerald’s translation of the Rubáiyát is accompanied by an introduction and notes by A J Arberry, one of Britain’s most distinguished Orientalist scholars. The Rubáiyát is a selection of poems written in Persian attributed to Omar Khayyám. The work will be of interest to those studying Middle Eastern Literature.

First published in 1959, this reprint of the first edition of Edward FitzGerald’s translation of the Rubáiyát is accompanied by an introduction and notes by A J Arberry, one of Britain’s most distinguished Orientalist scholars. The Rubáiyát is a selection of poems written in Persian attributed to Omar Khayyám. The work will be of interest to those studying Middle Eastern Literature.

First published in 1959, this reprint of the first edition of Edward FitzGerald's translation of the Rubáiyát is accompanied by an introduction and notes by A J Arberry, one of Britain's most distinguished Orientalist scholars. The Rubáiyát is a selection of poems written in Persian attributed to Omar Khayyám. The work will be of interest to those studying Middle Eastern Literature.

The "world of letters" has always seemed a matter more of metaphor than of global reality. In this book, Pascale Casanova shows us the state of world literature behind the stylistic refinements--a world of letters relatively independent from economic and political realms, and in which language systems, aesthetic orders, and genres struggle for dominance. Rejecting facile talk of globalization, with its suggestion of a happy literary "melting pot," Casanova exposes an emerging regime of inequality in the world of letters, where minor languages and literatures are subject to the invisible but implacable violence of their dominant counterparts. Inspired by the writings of Fernand Braudel and Pierre Bourdieu, this ambitious book develops the first systematic model for understanding the production, circulation, and valuing of literature worldwide. Casanova proposes a baseline from which we might measure the newness and modernity of the world of letters--the literary equivalent of the meridian at Greenwich. She argues for the importance of literary capital and its role in giving value and legitimacy to nations in their incessant struggle for international power. Within her overarching theory, Casanova locates three main periods in the genesis of world literature--Latin, French, and German--and closely examines three towering figures in the world republic of letters--Kafka, Joyce, and Faulkner. Her work provides a rich and surprising view of the political struggles of our modern world--one framed by sites of publication, circulation, translation, and efforts at literary annexation.

"Wine and Society: The social and cultural context of a drink examines the cultural forces which have shaped both how wine is made and the way in which it is consumed. It's divided into four parts and illustrated by case studies from around the world."--BOOK JACKET.

Of all the plants men have ever grown, none has been praised and denounced as often as marihuana (Cannabis sativa). Throughout the ages, marihuana has been extolled as one of man's greatest benefactors and cursed as one of his greatest scourges. Marihuana is undoubtedly a herb that has been many things to many people. Armies and navies have used it to make war, men and women to make love. Hunters and fishermen have snared the most ferocious creatures, from the tiger to the shark, in its herculean weave. Fashion designers have dressed the most elegant women in its supple knit. Hangmen have snapped the necks of thieves and murderers with its fiber. Obstetricians have eased the pain of childbirth with its leaves. Farmers have crushed its seeds and used the oil within to light their lamps. Mourners have thrown its seeds into blazing fires and have had their sorrow transformed into blissful ecstasy by the fumes that filled the air. Marihuana has been known by many names: hemp, hashish, dagga, bhang, loco weed, grass-the list is endless. Formally christened Cannabis sativa in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, marihuana is one of nature's hardiest specimens. It needs little care to thrive. One need not talk to it, sing to it, or play soothing tranquil Brahms lullabies to coax it to grow. It is as vigorous as a weed. It is ubiquitous. It fluorishes under nearly every possible climatic condition.