author
John Davenport
1789–1877
A British writer and orientalist remembered for tackling religion, language, and other controversial subjects with unusual boldness for the 19th century. He is especially known for An Apology for Mohammed and the Koran, a book that pushed back against common European prejudices of its time.
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About the author
Born on June 8, 1789, John Davenport was a British orientalist and writer. Reliable catalog and reference sources identify him with a range of works, including An Apology for Mohammed and the Koran, the book for which he is best known.
His writing shows wide-ranging interests. In addition to religious and historical subjects, bibliographic records connect him with language work such as an Italian-English dictionary, suggesting a career shaped by both scholarship and practical literary work.
What makes Davenport stand out is the independence of his voice. Rather than simply repeating the attitudes common in Victorian Britain, he wrote in ways that questioned received views, which helps explain why his work still attracts curious modern readers.