English travel writing from pilgrimages to postcolonial explorations

Travel writing has gained new appeal, and writers from the British Isles have been particularly productive and successful in this genre. This volume provides a concise introduction to the basic characteristics and historical development of travel writing as it has emerged in the British Isles from the Middle Ages to the present day. Examples considered include many classics such as Defoe, Sterne and Smollett, Isabella Bird and Mary Kingsley, Chatwin and Raban, and also lesser known representatives. Types of travel writing discussed include pilgrims' itineraries, exploration writing, tourist accounts as well as postmodern varieties.

Travel writing has gained new appeal for the general reader and for the student of Literary and Cultural Studies. This volume provides a concise introduction to the basic characteristics and historical development of travel writing as it has emerged in the British Isles from the Middle Ages to the present day. Examples considered include many classics, but also a range of lesser-known representatives. The final chapter on travelogues produced in former British colonies was newly written for this English version.

Introduction: Travelling Pleasure - Reading Pleasure Charting the Genre Paths to the Real World: Travel Writing in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period Paths to the Self: Accounts of the Grand Tour The Home Tour: From the Informative to the Picturesque Account Travel Writing in the Nineteenth Century Women's Travel Writing British Travel Writing in the Twentieth Century Postcolonial Travel Writing in the Twentieth Century Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index