In the land of the lion and sun : experiences of life in Persia from 1866 to 1881

C J Wills was an English physician who travelled widely in Iran from 1866-81 while working for the Indo-European Telegraph Department.

With a discerning eye for detail, Wills wrote an intimate anthropological account of Qajar-era Iran, rich with description of everyday life, popular beliefs and practices, and arts and crafts, as well as health practices and communications that were his professional concern.

In the Land of the Lion and Sun, the second volume to appear in Mage's Persia Observed series, provides a fresh and fascinating insight into both a time and a place, as well as the biases and sympathies of a generation.

In his introduction to this new edition of Wills' book, Abbas Amanat presents a critical reading of Wills' career, his works, and his view of Qajar Iran.

In an appendix, Michael Rubin gives a brief history of the introduction of telegraph to Iran, and discusses the role of employees such as Wills in the development of modern Persian communication.