THE TRUE LIFE OF CAPTAIN SIR RICHARD F. BURTON IBD

Sinopse

Sir Richard Burton (1821-90) is perhaps the most enigmatic of all African explorers despite the many biographers who have attempted to unravel his life story. This early biography, by his niece Georgiana Stisted, remains an essential source-work. Its original publication, in 1896, followed closely upon the death of Burton and was written by one who knew him well.Scholar, orientalist, and brilliant linguist (he mastered 35 languages, and dialects), BurtonâÇÖs most celebrated journey was his âÇÖpilgrimageâÇÖ to Mecca in 1853, disguised as a Pathan, Five years later found him with Speke on his hazardous expedition to Lake Victoria, which Speke claimed as the source of the Nile. BurtonâÇÖs refutation of this resulted in a major controversy which raged for years.In later life Burton carried out a number of government appointments in Africa and South America, whilst also devoting himself to writing. Most significant of his works was the sixteen volume translation of the Arabian Nights.On his death, his wife Isabel, a devout roman Catholic, destroyed many of BurtonâÇÖs priceless manuscript translations. She felt the content of the workáthreatened Victorian sensibilities. Earlier, Isabel had staged a deathbed âÇÖconversionâÇÖ of her husband to Catholicism.Outraged of the distortions written about her uncle, Georgiana Stisted set out to âÇÖtell the truth about one who can longer defend himselfâÇÖ. Her biography did much to dispel the earlier, somewhat anodyne, accounts of BurtonâÇÖs character and helped to balance the record concerning the life of an extraordinary man.