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Old 09-09-2006, 12:26 AM   #1
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Default Interpolations in modern books

There was some discussion of how we recognise that a book has been interpolated. Funnily enough I've just come across a modern book where I think that it has happened.

The book is De Lacy o'Leary's How Greek Science passed to the Arabs. I bought a copy off Amazon.co.uk which had a printing date of 2001 and turned out to have been published in India.

Most of it is in a fine early 20th century English style. But some sentences are ungrammatical, lacking verbs, or otherwise remniscent of English as it is spoken by people who don't know English. Mohammed is referred to throughout as 'the Prophet.'

The original was published by Routledge Kegan Paul, who wouldn't have allowed it to go out in its current form (that's how bad some sentences are). That's what publishers employ editors for.

I thus infer that it has been interfered with.

All the best,

Roger Pearse
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Old 09-09-2006, 12:52 AM   #2
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Interesting. There's an online copy which you can use for comparison:

http://www.aina.org/books/hgsptta.htm
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Old 09-10-2006, 08:48 AM   #3
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Quote:
There was some discussion of how we recognise that a book has been interpolated. Funnily enough I've just come across a modern book where I think that it has happened.

The book is De Lacy o'Leary's How Greek Science passed to the Arabs. I bought a copy off Amazon.co.uk which had a printing date of 2001 and turned out to have been published in India.

Most of it is in a fine early 20th century English style. But some sentences are ungrammatical, lacking verbs, or otherwise remniscent of English as it is spoken by people who don't know English. Mohammed is referred to throughout as 'the Prophet.'

The original was published by Routledge Kegan Paul, who wouldn't have allowed it to go out in its current form (that's how bad some sentences are). That's what publishers employ editors for.

I thus infer that it has been interfered with.

All the best,

Roger Pearse
Hey, you liked it, huh? Sorry I haven't got back to you about the Sabians, just more procrastination on my part...

Quote:
Interesting. There's an online copy which you can use for comparison:

http://www.aina.org/books/hgsptta.htm
Ya, that's how Roger found out about it. I sent him the link, and he liked it so much he bought it in RL (he, like myself, can't read long stuff like that online). I would advise anyone here to look at that site, especially the reports on Kurdistan and the Yezidis and Christians in Iraqi Kurdistan.
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Old 09-10-2006, 08:49 AM   #4
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Oops. This is my brothers account, I was just using it to look something up...
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Old 09-11-2006, 01:40 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by Roger Pearse View Post

The book is De Lacy o'Leary's How Greek Science passed to the Arabs. I bought a copy off Amazon.co.uk which had a printing date of 2001 and turned out to have been published in India.
Hi Roger,

There are at least two more editions of this book in the Cambridge UL. You might like to check these too.

Best wishes

James
 
Old 09-11-2006, 06:40 AM   #6
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Hey, you liked it, huh?
Yes. It's actually extremely good also on the spread of Islam and why the Ummayad caliphate collapsed. Frankly as a general introduction to the history of the Near East to 1000, it's the best thing that I have seen.

All the best,

Roger Pearse
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Old 09-11-2006, 10:33 AM   #7
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Oops. This is my brothers account, I was just using it to look something up...
Oh yes. " I assure you the money was just resting there while I sorted out the paperwork officer". A likely story.

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