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Mentioned as one of the adventure and romantic stories Kennedy loved reading as a child

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Referenced multiple times throughout the episode as a source for stories about Harun al-Rashid and Baghdad. The hosts read a passage from it at the beginning and discuss how it shaped perceptions of Baghdad as a mythical city.

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Referenced as a comparison to the storytelling structure in 120 Days of Sodom, where prostitutes relate stories to the libertines

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Tom compares Herodotus' work to 'the Arabian Nights or great collections of short stories' when describing how Herodotus' history is also a great compilation of stories and wonders.

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McNaughton is described as 'translating the Arabian Nights from Arabic' while on top of an elephant entering Kabul