author
Sir E. Denison (Edward Denison) Ross
1871–1940
A brilliant linguist and pioneering Oriental scholar, he helped shape the study of Asian and Middle Eastern languages in Britain. He is especially remembered as the first director of the School of Oriental Studies in London, where his wide learning and energy left a lasting mark.
1 Audiobook
The heart of Asia : A history of Russian Turkestan and the Central Asian Khanates from the earliest times
by Francis Henry Skrine, Sir E. Denison (Edward Denison) Ross
About the author
Sir Edward Denison Ross was a British orientalist and linguist born in London in 1871. He specialized in the languages of the Middle East, Central Asia, and East Asia, and developed a reputation for extraordinary range as a scholar of languages and texts.
After periods of study and work in Europe and Asia, he returned to Britain and became a key figure in academic life. He served as the first director of the University of London's School of Oriental Studies, later SOAS, helping to build it into an important center for the study of Asian and African cultures and languages.
Ross also worked with major libraries and scholarly collections, and his career reflected a lifelong commitment to making difficult texts and traditions more accessible to students and researchers. He died in 1940, but he remains closely associated with the early growth of Oriental and Asian studies in Britain.