Eastern Dreams: How The Arabian Nights Came To The World

The 1001 Arabian Nights is perhaps the most famous story collection in the world. It has transcended cultures, languages, and historical eras to become familiar and beloved not only in the Eastern world, but also in the West, where it is the only acknowledged classic of Western literature to have originated from outside the West itself. Despite its prominent place in both Eastern and Western culture, the history of the Nights remains tantalizingly elusive and difficult to define.

In Eastern...