Written by an expert on
both languages spoken by Rumi—Turkish and Persian—this is an
authoritative but accessible introduction to this important 13th-century
historian and mystic poet. Concentrating on the social and cultural environment
in which Rumi lived and produced his influential works, the book describes the
war-torn lives of the people in Asia Minor at the time and makes the point that
few figures in history have made an appeal for peace so enlightened that it
traveled down the centuries. A selection of passages from Rumi’s works explains
his core philosophy in his own words.