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The influence of epicurean thought on the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

The influence of epicurean thought on the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Craig A. Leisy.
Manchester, Shires Press, 2015. xv, 265 pages ; 22 cm. ISBN: 978-1-60571-277-2.

Summary:
The freethinker philosophy of Omar Khayyam, as expressed in his verses, was out of step with his society in the medieval Islamic world. However, his thinking was consistent with that of other freethinkers in the Middle East and may be traced to materialists in ancient Greece such as Democritus (atomism), and Epicurus (341-271 BCE). This book explores evidence that the Persian poet Omar Khayyam, and other poets in the medieval Islamic world, were influenced by the freethinkers in ancient Greece, the source of the conflict between science and religion

Nearer the heart’s desire. Poets of the Rubaiyat: a dual biography of Omar Khayyam and Edward FitzGerald

Nearer the heart’s desire. Poets of the Rubaiyat: a dual biography of Omar Khayyam and Edward FitzGerald. Robert D. Richardson. New York, Bloomsbury USA, 2016. x, 195 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm.
ISBN: 9781620406533

Summary:

“Weaving together the biographies of two poets separated by some eight-hundred years, Robert Richardson brings to life one of the most famous– and ancient works of poetry in all existence”–Front jacket flap

A Thousand and One Nights. The art of folklore, literature, poetry, fashion & book design of the Islamic world

A Thousand and One Nights. The art of folklore, literature, poetry, fashion & book design of the Islamic world. Hiroshi Unno. Tokyo, Pie Books, 2016. 295 p. ISBN: 978-4-7562-4816-9.

Summary:

Middle Eastern literature and poetry, including Arabian Nights and Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, has captured the imaginations of European people with its mysterious atmosphere and tales of exotic lands. From the 18th to the early 20th century, various European editions of these stories were published that included imaginative illustrations by notable European illustrators such as Nielsen, Dulac, Pogány, Bull and others. This book is a visual art collection of the world featured in such European illustrations and introduces the ancient Islamic manuscripts and art on which the illustrations are based. Text in Japanese, with an introduction and captions in English.

The man behind the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. The life and letters of Edward FitzGerald

The man behind the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. The life and letters of Edward FitzGerald. William H. Martin and Sandra Mason. London; New York; I.B. Tauris, 2016. ISBN 9781784536596. xii, 274 pp.

Summary:

Its lines and verses have become part of the western literary canon and his translation of this most famous of poems has been continuously in print in for almost a century and a half. But just who was Edward FitzGerald? Was he the eccentric recluse that most scholars would have us believe? Is there more to the man than just his famous translation? In The Man Behind the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam William Martin and Sandra Martin go beyond the standard view. Drawing on their unique analysis of the more than 2,000 surviving letters of FitzGerald, together with evidence from his scrapbooks, commonplace books and materials from his personal library, they reveal a more convivial yet complex personality than we have been led to suppose.”

Pope’s Iliad and E. FitzGerald’s Rubáiyát

Pope’s Iliad and E. FitzGerald’s Rubáiyát.
In: The Lesbian Lyre: Reclaiming Sappho for the 21st Century. Jeffrey M. Duban. Clairview Books, 2016. 832p. ISBN 9781905570799

Summary:

Hailed by Plato as the “Tenth Muse” of ancient Greek poetry, Sappho is inarguably antiquity’s greatest lyric poet. Born over 2,600 years ago on the Greek island of Lesbos, and writing amorously of women and men alike, she is the namesake lesbian. What’s left of her writing, and what we know of her, is fragmentary. Duban provides a reader-friendly overview of Sappho’s times and themes, exploring her eroticism and Greek homosexuality overall.

Artists of the Omar Khayyám Club of London 1892 to 1929

Artists of the Omar Khayyám Club of London 1892 to 1929. Danton O’Day. Emeritus Press, 2017. 86 p. ISBN: 9781389917240

Summary:

This book documents the menu artists of the Omar Khayyam Club of London from 1892-1929.
While 26 artists were credited in the two books of the Club, there actually were 28 different menu artists. Of these several were not properly credited for their contributions. For example, one artist was credited for three pictures that belonged to two other artists. Another incorrectly attributed picture was done by an, as yet, unidentified artist. This book details these issues as well as providing many other insights, firsts and interesting facts:
-First complete documentation of the artists of the Omar Khayyam Club of London Menus, 1892-1929
-First time most of the pictures have been seen since their initial publication
-Discovery of numerous incorrect artist credits
-Discovery of an “Unidentified Artist”
-Recognition of artists who were not credited for their contributions
-Corrected lists and timelines of artists and their contributions
-Learn about the artists: a cartoonist, a spy, the man who developed camouflage and more…