Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton by Edward Rice (1990, Hardcover)

A book about I believe one of the most fascinating characters in European and Midle Eastern Histories. Burton's obsession with understanding and mastering everything about the cultures in which he lived allowed hin greater insights into the Moslem and Arabic worlds. His mastery of 29 very difficult languages, for an European is exceptional. The book gave me a better and more accurate understanding of who the people in the middle east are, why they behave as they do, and what we can expect from them. I recommend this book to anyone trying to make sense of Afghanistan and Iraq today.