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Informationen zum Autor T.J. Gorton has published two books of Arabic poetry in translation and co-edited Lebanon: Through Writers' Eyes. His most recent book is Renaissance Emir: A Druze Warlord at the Court of the Medici, a biography of seventeenth-century Lebanese prince Fakhr al-Din Ma'n. Klappentext Beirut has seen many armies and empires come and go, but the legacy of this long history is not so much in surviving monuments as in the quintessential Levantine spirit of the people. A commercial hub since the days of the Phoenicians, it was a centre of learning under the Romans, its law school preeminent in the Empire. Beirut was the point of entry to the Levant for many Europeans and Americans undertaking a Grand Tour or a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and visitors (whether their focus was piously Biblical or more prosaic) recorded their impressions of this effervescent port city where East rubs against West. A Beirut Anthology gathers the choicest of these, from writers as diverse as Alphonse de Lamartine and Mark Twain, providing a surprising and vivid glimpse behind the veil of this elusive and alluring city. Vorwort Beirut's vibrant cosmopolitan layers and beguiling, insouciant charms captured in the writings of those who graced her shores through the ages Zusammenfassung Beirut has seen many armies and empires come and go, but the legacy of this long history is not so much in surviving monuments as in the quintessential Levantine spirit of the people. A commercial hub since the days of the Phoenicians, it was a center of learning under the Romans, its law school pre-eminent in the Empire. Both currents are discernible today, with vibrant Arab, French, and American universities and more publishing houses than the rest of the Arab world coexisting with the most dynamic financial center in the Middle East. Beirut was the point of entry to the Levant for many Europeans and Americans undertaking a Grand Tour or a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and visitors (whether their focus was piously Biblical or more prosaic) recorded their impressions of this effervescent port city where East rubs against West. A Beirut Anthology gathers the choicest of these, from writers as diverse as Alphonse de Lamartine and Mark Twain, providing a surprising and vivid glimpse behind the veil of this elusive and alluring city. About the series: The elegant, pocket-sized volumes in the AUC Press Anthology series feature the writings and observations of travel writers and diarists through the centuries. Vivid and evocative travelers’ accounts of some of the world’s great cities and regions are enhanced by the exquisite vintage design in small hardback format that make the books ideal gift books as well as perfect travel companions. Designed on cream paper stock and beautifully illustrated with line drawings and archival photographs. Inhaltsverzeichnis Contents Introduction In the Beginning Historical Survey, 1858 Murray’s Handbook Foundation Myth, c. AD 450 Nonnus of Panapolis A Difficult Neighborhood, c. AD 18 Strabo Berytus, Mother of Laws Favorite of Agrippa, AD 94 Flavius Josephus Desolation, c. AD 555 Joannes Barbucallus Crusader Times Ruins and Columns, 1052 Nasir-i-Khusrau The Fall of Beirut, 1111 William of Tyre A Border Town, 1177 Johannes Phocas To the Holy Land European Discovery of Bananas, 1548 Antoine Regnault Arrival in Beirut, 1697 Henry Maundrell The Ottoman City Palace of Fakhr al-Din, 1697 Henry Maundrell Misery and Splendor, 1665 Laurent d’Arvieux English Bombs and French Roads, 1858 Murray’s Handbook First Views A Comforting Flag, 1832 Alphonse de Lamartine A Difficult Landing, 1838 Edouard Blondel Difficult Commuting, 1858 Murray’s Handbook What to Expect, 1876 Baedeker 1876 Arriving by Land, 1878 Gabriel Charmes Physical Setting Arrival in Beirut, 1737 Richard Poco...
