The Canticle of the Birds: Illustrated Through Persian and Eastern Islamic Art Hardcover – April 7, 2014

This book should be the gold standard for all translations of historical and or cultural works. The poetry is excellent. The supplements are supurb. The art work is stunning and the format is perfect. I have not seen a book so perfectly formatted or put together so remarkably well. As far as I am concerned this is the perfect book. Well worth the price. My thanks to everyone involved in creating and publishing this volume.

With over 200 intricate illustrations, this magnificent books brings Attar's famous 'Conference of Birds' into life. The miniatures depicted in this book are the fruits of half-a-millenia mastery of Perso-Turkic paintings from, what we now know as, Afghanistan, India, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey. Each caption compliments the painting and each painting the story. This is a sizeable and beautifully produced coffee table book which will shine in your bookshelf. In addition, it's a must have for anyone interested in the beauty of Persian poetry, art and language. A necessity for native Persian/Dari speakers like myself.

The "Canticle of the Birds," a coffee-table sized book, marries a revised translation of a lengthy medieval poem revered throughout large portions of the Islamic world with more than 200 color illustrations that either document the poem's influence on Persian, Indian, Afghani, and Turkish art or help explain its meditative themes.The author of the poem, Farid-ud-Din 'Attar, was a native of Nishapur in northeastern Persia and is believed to have lived from 1145 to 1221. "The Canticle of the Birds" (also referred to in some other books as "The Conference of the Birds") recounts in rhymed couplets the story of the world's birds who take flight in search of the Simorgh, a symbolic representation of the Supreme Being. The poem is a meditation on a common theme of medieval Sufi poetry, which is to say, the human soul in search of unity with the Supreme Being. The book's illustrations plus generous interpretive materials were provided, meanwhile, by Dr. Michael Barry of Princeton University, and it is these contributions that put 'Attar's masterpiece into context and make this beautifully-produced volume so noteworthy.

I heard Michael Barry lecture on the poetry of Attar, illustrating the lecture with priceless art and, on a whim, purchased this expensive but valuable book. The reproductions of islamic art are of the highest quality, the accompanying essays provide a fantastic road map of the medieval interchange between China, Persia, Tibet, India and ultimately Europe. Highly recommended.

Pristine condition. It shipped from overseas, so there was a wait involved for arrival, but knew that up front. An impressive book! Beautiful pictures. Love the case that comes with it as a protector.

A joy! If you love metaphors, literature, and love to contemplate on the Divine Essence within you/without you, this is a beverage for the thirsty soul!

If I were exiled to an island, and I could choose only 100 books to accompany me, this would be one of them.

A magnificent, mind-blowingly beautiful and surprising book, a work of art in itself.