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The Book of Travels #1-2
The Book of Travels: Two-Volume Set
The adventures of the man who created Aladdin
The Book of Travels is Ḥannā Diyāb’s remarkable first-person account of his travels as a young man from his hometown of Aleppo to the court of Versailles and back again, which forever linked him to one of the most popular pieces of world literature, the Thousand and One Nights .
Diyāb, a Maronite Christian, served as a guide and interpreter for the French naturalist and antiquarian Paul Lucas. Between 1706 and 1716, Diyāb and Lucas traveled through Syria, Cyprus, Egypt, Tripolitania, Tunis, Italy, and France. In Paris, Ḥannā Diyāb met Antoine Galland, who added to his wildly popular translation of the Thousand and One Nights several tales related by Diyāb, including “Aladdin” and “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.” When Lucas failed to make good on his promise of a position for Diyāb at Louis XIV’s Royal Library, Diyāb returned to Aleppo. In his old age, he wrote this engaging account of his youthful adventures, from capture by pirates in the Mediterranean to quack medicine and near-death experiences.
Translated into English for the first time, The Book of Travels introduces readers to the young Syrian responsible for some of the most beloved stories from the Thousand and One Nights .
A bilingual Arabic-English edition.
The Book of Travels is Ḥannā Diyāb’s remarkable first-person account of his travels as a young man from his hometown of Aleppo to the court of Versailles and back again, which forever linked him to one of the most popular pieces of world literature, the Thousand and One Nights .
Diyāb, a Maronite Christian, served as a guide and interpreter for the French naturalist and antiquarian Paul Lucas. Between 1706 and 1716, Diyāb and Lucas traveled through Syria, Cyprus, Egypt, Tripolitania, Tunis, Italy, and France. In Paris, Ḥannā Diyāb met Antoine Galland, who added to his wildly popular translation of the Thousand and One Nights several tales related by Diyāb, including “Aladdin” and “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.” When Lucas failed to make good on his promise of a position for Diyāb at Louis XIV’s Royal Library, Diyāb returned to Aleppo. In his old age, he wrote this engaging account of his youthful adventures, from capture by pirates in the Mediterranean to quack medicine and near-death experiences.
Translated into English for the first time, The Book of Travels introduces readers to the young Syrian responsible for some of the most beloved stories from the Thousand and One Nights .
A bilingual Arabic-English edition.
- GenresTravelHistoryNonfiction
720 pages, Hardcover
Published May 4, 2021
About the author
Ḥannā Diyāb
7 books5 followershttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanna_D...
Antun Yusuf Hanna Diyab (Arabic: اَنْطون يوسُف حَنّا دِياب, romanized: Anṭūn Yūsuf Ḥannā Diyāb; born circa 1688) was a Syrian Maronite writer and storyteller.[1][2][3] He originated the best-known versions of the tales of Aladdin and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves which have been added to the One Thousand and One Nights since French orientalist Antoine Galland translated and included them, after which they soon became popular across the West.
He was long known only from brief mentions in the diary of Antoine Galland, but the translation and publication of his manuscript autobiography in 2015 dramatically expanded knowledge about his life. Recent reassessments of Diyab's contribution to Les mille et une nuits, Galland's hugely influential version of the Arabic One Thousand and One Nights, have argued that his artistry is central to the literary history of such famous tales as Aladdin and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, despite Diyab never being named in Galland's publications.[2]
Antun Yusuf Hanna Diyab (Arabic: اَنْطون يوسُف حَنّا دِياب, romanized: Anṭūn Yūsuf Ḥannā Diyāb; born circa 1688) was a Syrian Maronite writer and storyteller.[1][2][3] He originated the best-known versions of the tales of Aladdin and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves which have been added to the One Thousand and One Nights since French orientalist Antoine Galland translated and included them, after which they soon became popular across the West.
He was long known only from brief mentions in the diary of Antoine Galland, but the translation and publication of his manuscript autobiography in 2015 dramatically expanded knowledge about his life. Recent reassessments of Diyab's contribution to Les mille et une nuits, Galland's hugely influential version of the Arabic One Thousand and One Nights, have argued that his artistry is central to the literary history of such famous tales as Aladdin and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, despite Diyab never being named in Galland's publications.[2]
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 30, 2022
Interesting, although not what I thought it would be.
January 7, 2023
This travelogue from the 17th century feels very modern and is easy to read. It was translated from Arabic to modern French so it doesn't suffer from anachronistic language constructs. Very accessible.
Besides being the author of this book, Dyâb is also the source of "Aladin and the Lamp" and "Ali Babba and the 40 Thieves". He recounted these stories to Antoine Galland when Galland was translating the 1001 Nights but realized he was several stories short. Who knows where these stories truly came from, did Dyâb invent them? In any event Galland never gave him credit and in fact tricked him into leaving Paris so that Dyâb would not be a competitor.
Dyâb also met Louis XIV personally and the rest of the court at Versailles. His mentor insisted he wear "oriental" garb upon his arrival which ensured that his exotic look would enhance his appeal to a court enamored with "turqueries".
The perspective of a 16th century Syrian visiting 16th century France is quite entertaining and alien to our modern sensibilities.
Things I learned about life in the century:
- Pirates were a constant and real menace every time you took to sea.
- Brigands were a constant and real menace every time you traveled by land.
- There were no passports or identification documents. You were 'under the protection' of a lord, or a nobleman who you totally relied on to extract you from arbitrary policing and the whims of other petty nobles.
- When arriving at a foreign city, the first thing you did was announce your presence at the local consulate. That way you had protection and a contact in case anyone in the town decided to take advantage of you. It was essential that you establish your 'bona fides'.
- The minute people learned you were a doctor, sick people from the surrounding villages would flock to be healed.
- Amulets, pearls, elixirs and unguents were the 'medicines' such as they were. It was all about balancing humors. Purges were also popular.
Dyab is a genial and pleasant raconteur. Our guide through another time and place. Recommended.
Besides being the author of this book, Dyâb is also the source of "Aladin and the Lamp" and "Ali Babba and the 40 Thieves". He recounted these stories to Antoine Galland when Galland was translating the 1001 Nights but realized he was several stories short. Who knows where these stories truly came from, did Dyâb invent them? In any event Galland never gave him credit and in fact tricked him into leaving Paris so that Dyâb would not be a competitor.
Dyâb also met Louis XIV personally and the rest of the court at Versailles. His mentor insisted he wear "oriental" garb upon his arrival which ensured that his exotic look would enhance his appeal to a court enamored with "turqueries".
The perspective of a 16th century Syrian visiting 16th century France is quite entertaining and alien to our modern sensibilities.
Things I learned about life in the century:
- Pirates were a constant and real menace every time you took to sea.
- Brigands were a constant and real menace every time you traveled by land.
- There were no passports or identification documents. You were 'under the protection' of a lord, or a nobleman who you totally relied on to extract you from arbitrary policing and the whims of other petty nobles.
- When arriving at a foreign city, the first thing you did was announce your presence at the local consulate. That way you had protection and a contact in case anyone in the town decided to take advantage of you. It was essential that you establish your 'bona fides'.
- The minute people learned you were a doctor, sick people from the surrounding villages would flock to be healed.
- Amulets, pearls, elixirs and unguents were the 'medicines' such as they were. It was all about balancing humors. Purges were also popular.
Dyab is a genial and pleasant raconteur. Our guide through another time and place. Recommended.
December 29, 2022
Having just traveled the Mediterranean on holiday it was fun to then read Ḥannā Diyāb's own account which was written in the early 18th century and about his own Mediterranean trip from Aleppo to Versailles in France. Diyab served as a guide for the French antiquarian Paul Lucas and they traveled together from 1706 to 1708. Diyab is most famous for being the source for the story of Alladin and Ali Babba and the Forthy Thieves which Antoine Galland added to Thousand and One Nights.
While many read Thousand and One Nights for the fantastical tales, it was fun to read Diyab's memoir which read as its own fantastical tale and was a refreshing view of 18th-century Europe from new eyes. The adventure includes pirates, thieves, fights, treasure hunting, archeology, and the wonders of Paris and Versailles. On one hand, you have the miracle of fountains in Versaille and safe travel between inns, but don't get caught thieving in Grand Paris--you might end up being hung outside your parent's house if you embezzle your father's bonds or someone might break your limbs and leave you like a puddle on a wheel until you die. But inns have fresh sheets! Like any travel memoir, it is the little details, and conversations with fellow travelers which make this a treat.
While many read Thousand and One Nights for the fantastical tales, it was fun to read Diyab's memoir which read as its own fantastical tale and was a refreshing view of 18th-century Europe from new eyes. The adventure includes pirates, thieves, fights, treasure hunting, archeology, and the wonders of Paris and Versailles. On one hand, you have the miracle of fountains in Versaille and safe travel between inns, but don't get caught thieving in Grand Paris--you might end up being hung outside your parent's house if you embezzle your father's bonds or someone might break your limbs and leave you like a puddle on a wheel until you die. But inns have fresh sheets! Like any travel memoir, it is the little details, and conversations with fellow travelers which make this a treat.
October 10, 2022
Un des meilleurs livres que j’ai lu. Il est très divertissant et je pense qu’il pourrait être adapté en film ou série. J’ai commencé à lire ce livre dans le cadre d’un cours d’histoire sur la Méditerranée au XVIe siècle et c’était super intéressant d’avoir un témoignage qui faisait référence aux événements évoqués en cours.
July 26, 2024
On of the most captivating narratives I have ever read. The story telling is so interesting, it keeps you gripped from start to finish. I learnt so much and felt like I was really transported to that time. I really felt for Diyab and everything that was happening to him. It felt like I was reading an adventure book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews