An Account of the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians (At Last--The Definitive Edition of the Classic) [Hardcover]

Edward William Lane (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2004 | Series: At Last--The Definitive Edition of the Classic

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.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Edward William Lane (1801-76), a name known to almost everyone in all the many fields of Middle East studies, was the author of a number of highly influential works: An Account of the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians (1836), his translation of The Thousand and One Nights (1839-41), Selections from the Kur-an (1843), and the Arabic-English Lexicon (1863-93). In 2000, his long-forgotten manuscript Description of Egypt was published for the first time by the AUC Press.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 619 pages
• Publisher: The American University in Cairo Press; New edition edition (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9774247841
• ISBN-13: 978-9774247842
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.6 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,553,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Culturally enchanting plus interesting.., November 10, 2003

By 

Lina Fairchild (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Account of the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians (At Last--The Definitive Edition of the Classic) (Hardcover)

A landmark work of cultural anthropology, Lane's study of Egyptian society has never been out of print since it was first issued in 1836. The definitive fifth edition of 1860, the basis of this re-issue, was the result of a quarter-century of Lane's corrections, reconsid-erations and additions and includes 131 illustrations by Lane, most made with the aid of a camera lucida. Lane (1801-1876) first traveled to Egypt in 1825, inspired by the dis-coveries made by Belzoni and others in the Valley of the Kings, but it was contempo-rary life that captured his imagination. He immersed himself in the culture, learning its language and adopting its way of life. The results were extraordinary: Out of his ex-periences came not only this work, but translations of The Thousand and One Nights, Se-lections from the Qur'an, and the seminal Arabic-English Lexicon. Composed at a time of increased western interest in and contact with Egypt, but before the forces of moderni-zation transformed the country, Manners and Customs is renowned for its comprehen-sive scope, detail and perceptiveness on such topics as Islamic laws and government, festivals, death and funeral rites, marriage, music, dancing, magic and alchemy, public baths and bargaining. Lane's work retains its power to charm and amaze-much like Egypt itself.