The Book of Charlatans
Jamal al-Din Abd al-Rahim al-Jawbari
Humphrey Davies (translation)
Paperback, 320 pages
English-only edition
9781479813247
Ā
Uncovering the professional secrets of con artists and swindlers in the medieval Middle East
Ā
The Book of Charlatans is a comprehensive guide to trickery and scams as practiced in the thirteenth century in the cities of the Middle East, especially in Syria and Egypt. Al-JawbarÄ« was well versed in the practices he describes and may have been a reformed charlatan himself. Divided into thirty chapters, the book reveals the secrets of everyone from āThose Who Claim to be Prophetsā to āThose Who Claim to Have Leprosyā and āThose Who Dye Horses.ā
Ā
The material is informed in part by the authorās own experience with alchemy, astrology, and geomancy, and in part by his extensive research. The work is unique in its systematic, detailed, and inclusive approach to a subject that is by nature arcane and that has relevance not only for social history but also for the history of science. Covering everything from invisible writing to doctoring gemstones and quack medicine, The Book of Charlatans opens a fascinating window into a subculture of beggarsā guilds and professional con artists in the medieval Arab world.
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The Book of Charlatans
The Book of Charlatans
Jamal al-Din Abd al-Rahim al-Jawbari
Humphrey Davies (translation)
Paperback, 320 pages
English-only edition
9781479813247
Ā
Uncovering the professional secrets of con artists and swindlers in the medieval Middle East
Ā
The Book of Charlatans is a comprehensive guide to trickery and scams as practiced in the thirteenth century in the cities of the Middle East, especially in Syria and Egypt. Al-JawbarÄ« was well versed in the practices he describes and may have been a reformed charlatan himself. Divided into thirty chapters, the book reveals the secrets of everyone from āThose Who Claim to be Prophetsā to āThose Who Claim to Have Leprosyā and āThose Who Dye Horses.ā
Ā
The material is informed in part by the authorās own experience with alchemy, astrology, and geomancy, and in part by his extensive research. The work is unique in its systematic, detailed, and inclusive approach to a subject that is by nature arcane and that has relevance not only for social history but also for the history of science. Covering everything from invisible writing to doctoring gemstones and quack medicine, The Book of Charlatans opens a fascinating window into a subculture of beggarsā guilds and professional con artists in the medieval Arab world.
Product Information
Product Information
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
Description
Jamal al-Din Abd al-Rahim al-Jawbari
Humphrey Davies (translation)
Paperback, 320 pages
English-only edition
9781479813247
Ā
Uncovering the professional secrets of con artists and swindlers in the medieval Middle East
Ā
The Book of Charlatans is a comprehensive guide to trickery and scams as practiced in the thirteenth century in the cities of the Middle East, especially in Syria and Egypt. Al-JawbarÄ« was well versed in the practices he describes and may have been a reformed charlatan himself. Divided into thirty chapters, the book reveals the secrets of everyone from āThose Who Claim to be Prophetsā to āThose Who Claim to Have Leprosyā and āThose Who Dye Horses.ā
Ā
The material is informed in part by the authorās own experience with alchemy, astrology, and geomancy, and in part by his extensive research. The work is unique in its systematic, detailed, and inclusive approach to a subject that is by nature arcane and that has relevance not only for social history but also for the history of science. Covering everything from invisible writing to doctoring gemstones and quack medicine, The Book of Charlatans opens a fascinating window into a subculture of beggarsā guilds and professional con artists in the medieval Arab world.
