The Love of Strangers: What Six Muslim Students Learned in Jane Austen's London

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In July 1815, six Iranian students arrived in London under the escort of their chaperone, Captain Joseph D'Arcy. Their mission was to master the modern sciences behind the rapid rise of Europe. Over the next four years, they lived both the low life and high life of Regency London, from being down and out after their abandonment by D'Arcy to charmin

Reviews

"[A] microhistory of a Persian journey through Regency England ... [with] attention to the pluralization of religious practices in a period of intensified global connection. Within this context, Salih's account offers a valuable perspective on the familiar outlines of Regency England."--Paulo Lemos Horta, Times Literary Supplement "This story of four years of discovery by Muslims visiting Europe for the first time makes for entertaining and instructive reading."--Leslie Mitchell, Literary Review "Nile Green ... has followed the Iranian students through Regency England with the determination and skill of a forensic detective. Using the diary of Mirza Salih as his primary guide, he has managed to trace his subjects through disparate archives, scattered letters, newspaper articles and even paintings. Such a feat is not to be underestimated."--The New York Times "A mesmerizing and winsome work."--The Star Tribune "In Salih's diary, Green unearths a genuinely valuable outsider's portrait of Regency England, its culture, manners and burgeoning industry... This is a fascinating record of a profound, strange and charming encounter of East and West."--Shahidha Bari, Times Higher Education "[D]iligently researched and elegantly written."--Aram Bakshian Jr., The Washington Times "This fascinating study of six Iranian students in Regency London provides a positive counterpoint to two scholarly frameworks for interpreting encounters between East and West... This book is a valuable contribution to the study of East-West encounters generally, and one that complicates the narratives that usually frame them."--Choice "A marvelous book by one of the finest historians of the region. It is a major contribution to our understanding of early relations between the Muslim East and 'the West,' as well as an enchanting tale of tolerance, diversity, and freedom of exchange. Green's prose is engaging and elegant, and he wears his erudition lightly. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the humanity of encounters among cultures."--Daniel Newman, Los Angeles Review of Books

Author Bio

Nile Green is professor of history at UCLA. His many books include Sufism: A Global History. He lives in Los Angeles.