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The Richard Burton Library

The Richard Burton Library

By: Sir Richard Francis Burton
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Enter The Richard Burton Library, wherein the curious listener may accompany that restless company of pilgrims, wanderers, merchants, poets, princes, and philosophers who people the books of Sir Richard Francis Burton. Here are his works read in full: voyages into Arabia, Africa, India, and the chambers of ancient story; observations of men and manners; translations from tongues remote and richly storied; and those strange byways of learning which Burton pursued with equal parts courage, appetite, and disdain for convention. For the lover of travel, letters, and the wider world, the road begins here.Public domain Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah Chapter IX - Suez

    Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah Chapter IX - Suez
    Jun 21 2026
    In which the weary pilgrimage party endures a painful landing among rocky shores and an inhospitable seaside tribe before reaching the port town of Yambu', a sparse, sunburnt place marked by its religious significance and armed, proud inhabitants. As preparations are made for the overland journey, the travellers acquire camels and adopt local customs and attire to navigate the precarious desert route, encountering the harsh landscape and ominous threats that lie ahead.
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    46 mins
  • Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah Chapter X - The Pilgrim Ship

    Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah Chapter X - The Pilgrim Ship
    Jun 21 2026
    In which the weary travellers arrive at the stunted and dusty village of Al-Hamra, contending with surly inhabitants and the ever-present threat of banditry under the uneasy shadow of local chieftains, whilst reflections on the turbulent politics and martial customs of the Hijaz give a deeper understanding of this tumultuous land. The narrative continues through taxing halts at barren encampments amidst Robbers’ passes and fiery heat, as the party endures quarrels, skirmishes, and the restless anxieties of a desert pilgrimage fraught with both human and natural perils.
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    46 mins
  • Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah Chapter VIII - From Cairo to Suez

    Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah Chapter VIII - From Cairo to Suez
    Jun 20 2026
    In which the tumult aboard the cramped vessel gives way to uneasy truces amid the company of pilgrims and sojourners, while the voyage along the classic yet perilous coasts unfolds with vivid scenes of natural splendour, local superstition, and the patient endurance of heat and hardship. We find our party navigating both physical dangers of reefs and the prickly tempers of their fellow wayfarers, punctuated by moments of respite at ancient wells and bustling coffee-houses, all set against a backdrop of desert legends and the patient rhythm of the Red Sea.
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    50 mins
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