<DIV><DIV><P>Persian literature is the jewel in the crown of Persian culture. It has profoundly influenced the literatures of Ottoman Turkey, Muslim India and Turkic Central Asia and been a source of inspiration for Goethe, Emerson, Matthew Arnold and Jorge Luis Borges among others.  Yet Persian literature has never received the attention it truly deserves. <I>General Introduction to Persian Literature</I> answers this need and offers a new, comprehensive and detailed history of its subject. This 18-volume, authoritative survey reflects the stature and significance of Persian literature as the single most important accomplishment of the Iranian experience.  It includes extensive, revealing examples with contributions by prominent scholars who bring a fresh critical approach to bear on this important topic. The first volume offers an indispensable entrée to Persian literature's long and rich history, examining themes and subjects that are common to many fields of Persian literary study.  This invaluable introduction to the subject heralds a definitive and ground-breaking new series.</P></DIV></DIV>