Books by Edward William Lane

Full text, no abridgments, of great interest to both historians and Egyptologists, All the author's original illustrations, beautifully reproduced

First published in 1836, the work remains a standard reference on the subject, including information on every aspect of Arab life, from religion, law and literature, through to art and domestic matters.

Few works about the Middle East have exerted such wide and long-lasting influence as Edward William Lane's An Account of the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians. First published in 1836, this classic book has never gone out of print, continuously providing material and inspiration for generations of scholars, writers, and travelers, who have praised its comprehensiveness, detail, and perception. Yet the editions in print during most of the twentieth century would not have met Lane's approval. Lacking parts of Lane's text and many of his original illustrations (while adding many that were not his), they were based on what should have been ephemeral editions, published long after the author's death. Meanwhile, the definitive fifth edition of 1860, the result of a quarter century of Lane's corrections, reconsiderations, and additions, long ago disappeared from bookstore shelves. Now the 1860 edition of Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians is available again, with a useful general introduction by Jason Thompson. Lane's greatest work enters the twenty-first century in precisely the form that he wanted.

Fluent in Arabic, Edward William Lane (1801-76) devoted his life's study to Egypt, where he lived for many years. This well-illustrated two-volume work was first published in 1836. Volume 1 covers climate, housing, education and domestic life; systems of religion, law and government; and language, literature, sciences and magic.