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...