Richard F. Burton Sir Richard Francis Burton was a British explorer, linguist, and writer, who is best known for his adventures in Africa and his translation of 'The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night.' Born in 1821, Burton was a man of many talents and spoke oer 25 languages, including Arabic, Persian, and Swahili. During his career as an explorer, Burton traveled extensively throughout the Middle East and Africa, often disguising himself as a local in order to gain access to otherwise restricted areas. He is perhaps best known for his journey to Mecca, which was forbidden to non-Muslims at the time, and which he completed in disguise, thereby earning the respect of local scholars and religious leaders. Burton's translation of "The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night" is widely considered to be his most important literary achievement, and remains a classic of world literature. Read More Read Less