Includes bibliographical references (p. 252-253) and index.

The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan, the story of a likable Iranian rogue caught up in a series of extraordinary and farcical adventures, remains perhaps the most famous of English picaresque novels and, curiously, a favorite among Iranians. First published in 1823, it was an instant best-seller, and is still in print. Little, however, is known of the life of its author, James Morier. Here, for the first time, the reader can follow the fascinating story of James and his two brothers, Jack and David. Their Swiss-born father was a merchant in Smyrna; but during the Napoleonic Wars the brothers, all British citizens although there was only a tiny drop of British blood in their veins, forsook the world of trade to become involved in the exciting world of countering French activities and influence in the Ottoman Empire and Persia. This book is based on a mass of almost unknown family papers and, through the many letters the Moriers wrote to each other from far-flung corners of the globe, throws fresh light on the lives of people caught up in the early years of colonial expansion.