Bøker i Cambridge Library Collection - Travel, Europe-serien

Sir Henry Holland (1788-1873) was a passionate and intrepid traveller from a young age. In addition to a distinguished career as court physician - first to Caroline of Brunswick, then to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert - he sought to keep two months of each year free to travel. His trip to Greece formed part of a European tour that Holland undertook in 1812-13 after having taken his medical degree at Edinburgh. Holland focuses on the lesser-known islands and parts of Macedonia and Albania, and gives a unique first-hand account of the Albanian vizier Ali Pasha (1740-1822), whom he befriended while visiting his court. The publication of Holland's travelogue in 1815 enhanced his reputation greatly and he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society that year. The book contributed to the early nineteenth-century fascination with Greece that would later lead Lord Byron to join the Greek War of Independence.

Kate Marsden (1859-1931), the youngest of eight children from a poor family, was a highly committed nurse. She cared for soldiers in the Russo-Turkish War in 1877-8, and undertook missionary travels to various countries, but she was especially concerned about the plight of those suffering from leprosy. This volume, published in 1893, describes her remarkable journey to Siberian leper colonies. At first she travelled by sledge with a friend, but continued alone on horseback, facing appalling weather conditions with her customary courage. Her commitment to leprosy sufferers led her to found the St Francis Leprosy Guild in London in 1895, and she organised a leprosy hospital in the remote Siberian town of Vilyusk in 1897. She was made a Member of the Russian Imperial Red Cross Society, and she was also one of the first women to be appointed a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

This work was first published in 1793 by the agricultural expert Arthur Young (1741-1820). In addition to farming, he describes the scenery, roads, inns, manners, and - more significantly - examples both of wealth and poverty. Despite describing some servants he encountered in an inn as 'walking dunghills', he was acutely aware of the grinding poverty of the rural poor, noting the excesses of the ruling class, and ascribing to bad government the striking differences he found between the lives of working people in France and England. Hearing of the fall of the Bastille whilst in Strasbourg, he recognised it as presaging either a new constitution or 'inextricable confusions and civil war'. This centennial edition includes an account of recent journeys made by the editor, noting the changes seen since Young's original work. The work remains one of the most fascinating and valuable sources for understanding the conditions of pre-revolutionary rural France.

The British diplomat and writer Laurence Oliphant (1829-88) was the author of travel diaries and novels, including the very successful Piccadilly (1870). A keen traveller, he worked as a correspondent for The Times during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1) and served as Secretary to British Diplomat Lord Elgin in Canada, China and Japan. This book is a narrative of the journey Oliphant made to Russia as a young man, with his friend Oswald Smith. Its publication in 1853 coincided with the beginning of the Crimean War, turning the book into an immediate success. From the splendour of mid-nineteenth-century St Petersburg, to the annexation of the Crimea, and the international consequences of Russian foreign policy for Europe, this illustrated book is also full of witty anecdotes and captivating descriptions. Very influential in its time, it remains an important resource for cultural and political historians.

Richard Bright (1789-1858), pioneer in research on kidney disease, fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Physician-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria, describes his observations while travelling in Eastern Europe in this book, first published in 1818. He had set off to witness the closing stages of the Congress of Vienna in 1814, and having spent the winter observing the various heads of state, courtiers and politicians, he decided to travel further east, to areas little visited or understood by the British. Although full of factual details and statistics, the book also pays attention to subjects such as the importance of agriculture in an area little touched as yet by the Industrial Revolution, and Gypsies, who greatly intrigued Bright. An appendix contains ten pieces covering a variety of topics, including the coronation of Joseph I as King of Hungary in 1687, and a comparative vocabulary of Gypsy words.

Sir Adolphus Slade (1804-77), British naval officer and author, documents his experiences crossing Europe to Turkey in these detailed and richly worded travel journals. Having joined the Royal Navy at a young age, he was promoted to Lieutenant in 1827. Subsequently, he was posted on several missions to Turkey and Greece, in between which he would take the opportunity for personal travel and writing. This is one among several works recording his travels across Europe; he was later appointed administrative head of the Turkish Navy (his history of the Crimean War is also reissued in this series). This collection of accounts, first published in 1840, has a remarkably broad scope. Slade covers peculiarities and specificities of tradition, landscape, class, politics and architecture, often describing encounters with individuals. He draws comparisons with England, presenting the reader with a double cultural insight in a fascinating example of nineteenth-century travel writing.

William George Clark (1821-78) is probably best remembered as the co-editor (with W. Aldis Wright) of the Cambridge Shakespeare (1863-6; also reissued in this series). A fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, he was a classical and literary scholar and editor, but travelled widely in his vacations, and this work, first published in 1858, is an account of a tour of Greece undertaken in 1856 with W. H. Thompson (1810-86), who later succeeded William Whewell as Master of Trinity. Clark's plan was to visit the archaeological sites of the Peloponnese using W. M. Leake's various surveys as a guide and comparing Leake's observations and his own with those of the ancient traveller Pausanias. The result is an engaging combination of travel narrative and serious archaeological and topographical research backed up by a profound knowledge of classical literature. It remains an interesting resource for those studying the history of Greek archaeology.

A Church of England clergyman and biblical scholar, George Townsend (1788-1857) gained recognition for preparing chronological arrangements of both the Old and New Testament. First published in 1850, the present work is an intriguing account of his journey to Italy for an audience with Pope Pius IX, whom he intended to convert to Protestantism. Townsend's journal features details of his stay in Paris, where he was received by the city's archbishop, as well as remarks on the churches and clergy he encountered along the way. In Rome and the Vatican, he visited the main sites of interest while commenting on points of doctrinal divergence and the hospitality shown towards him. Warmly received by Pius IX, who chose to interpret the visit as ecumenical, Townsend inevitably failed in his ultimate objective. Tendentious and forthright, his work sheds light on a strain of English anti-Catholicism.

In 1844 Charles Dickens (1812-70) and his family moved to Italy for a year, eventually settling in Genoa. This book, Dickens' second travel memoir, describes his experience of travelling through France and exploring Italy. Based on letters to friends, particularly John Forster, it was first published in instalments from January to March 1846 in the Daily News (a new radical newspaper which Dickens himself founded and briefly edited). The edition in book form reissued here appeared in May 1846. The main focus of the book is the northern regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Milan and Venice. It also includes substantial sections on Rome and Naples as well as a brief sketch of Switzerland. Landscapes, architecture, lodgings and food are described with selective but penetrating detail. The shrewd social observations characteristic of Dickens' novels are found here, especially in his critical remarks about poverty, popular religion and the Catholic clergy.

Swedish archbishop Uno von Troil (1746-1803) had a lifelong enthusiasm for travel and scientific study which led him to accompany the famous naturalist Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820) on an expedition to Iceland in 1772. Banks was already well known for his role as botanist on Captain Cook's first voyage on the Endeavour, which mapped the Pacific and uncharted parts of Australia and New Zealand. This book, first published in 1780, is a compilation of letters written by von Troil, documenting the tour of Iceland. The letters describe volcanos and other geological features as well as providing meteorological information and an account of the northern lights. Through his amiable and enthusiastic correspondence, von Troil paints a picture of the Icelandic people, their national character and culture, including their diet and occupations. Also featured is an account of the religious history of Iceland and the organisation of the Icelandic church.

The nineteenth century saw an influx of British travellers to Iceland, drawn by growing interest in its saga literature or by the potential for scientific discovery offered by its volcanic and glacial landscapes. Charles Stuart Forbes (1829-76), an officer in the Royal Navy, was one of these adventurers. In this work, first published in 1860, he gives a vivid and detailed account of his journeys across the island, conveying his wonder at its natural phenomena and sharing his observations on its history, culture and way of life. A fervent supporter of Garibaldi, Forbes went on to publish in 1861 The Campaign of Garibaldi in the Two Sicilies (also reissued in this series). While making little reference here to the growing movement for independence from Denmark, the present work, written with colour and wit, remains an engaging source of information on Iceland.

Remembered chiefly for his archaeological discoveries in Crete, Sir Arthur John Evans (1851-1941) was also highly respected as an expert on the Balkans, an area then little known. Evans describes 'a land and people among the most interesting in Europe', and in 1875 he was visiting for the third time. This trip found him witnessing the outbreak of the revolt that saw Austria-Hungary take control of Bosnia. Here, however, Evans explores Bosnia's rich heritage with detailed ethnographic and anthropological observations, alongside descriptive impressions of its people and natural beauty. He returned in 1877 as a correspondent for the Manchester Guardian, which resulted in his Illyrian Letters (also reissued in this series). First published in 1876 and reprinted the following year, the present work offers background not only to the revolt in that country, but also to the later deadly conflicts that would shake all of Europe.

Isabel J. Armstrong (born c.1848) and her travelling companion Edith Payne were part of an increasing cohort of determined women entering territory deemed unsuitable for ladies: travel. Women such as Isabella Bird (whose work is also available in this series) and Mary Kingsley had defied social convention in order to explore the world around them. Their independence of spirit and thirst for knowledge made them inspirational role models. Little is known of Armstrong and Payne other than what is recorded in this engaging account of their Greek adventures, about which 'the general opinion seemed to be that we were going out to be murdered'. First published in 1893, the book depicts a country whose traditions and way of life were in danger of being swept away by the advance of modern technology. Incorporating vivid descriptions of Piraeus, Olympia, Thessaly and the monasteries of Meteora, the narrative is charmingly illustrated with Armstrong's own sketches.

This short book derives from an article published in the periodical Vacation Tourists and Notes of Travel, edited by Francis Galton, in 1860. W. G. Clark (1821-78) was most famous as co-editor of the Cambridge Shakespeare, but was originally a classical scholar, whose Peloponnesus (1858) is also reissued in this series. This lively account of a critical period in Italian history, 'during the occurrence of events so strange and sudden that they resembled incidents of a romantic melodrama rather than real history', deliberately avoids the usual landscapes, ruins and peasants to give a day-by-day description of events in Naples at the time when Garibaldi had arrived in the city during his campaign for the liberation of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. However, as well as narrating political and military developments, Clark introduces some picturesque notes, including an account of the famous 'miracle' of the liquefaction of St Gennaro's blood.

Mariana Starke (1762-1838) was an ideal travel guide: she lived and travelled in Italy for much of the 1790s and had a truly practical mind, predicting perfectly what a traveller might need to know about both the journey and the destination. Travels on the Continent, first published in 1820, was partly based on her earlier bestseller Travels in Italy (also reissued in this series) but featured completely updated information based on extensive research during the late 1810s. Noting the latest improvements in transport and accommodation, which had both become more comfortable in Europe during the previous thirty years, the guide covers most of mainland Europe. For each popular route Starke offers itineraries and journey times, as well as recommendations for sightseeing and the best inns. In particular, she offers advice to the many travellers of the time who sought to improve their health through a change of climate.

Journalist, children's author and translator, Matilda Betham-Edwards inspired a generation of writers. A correspondent of Henry James and a friend of George Eliot, she belonged to a literary network that spanned the globe. Published in 1868, her account of her journey to the Sahara received immediate critical acclaim for its graceful prose and intelligent insights. Leading readers through the Dordogne to Madrid and on to the mosques and malaria of North Africa, Edwards introduces her audience to relics, landscapes and ancient edifices that reflect a wide spectrum of religions and societies. A farmer's daughter, she pays special attention to the living and working conditions of agricultural communities and their struggle for survival in nineteenth-century Europe. As one reviewer for the Examiner explained, 'stay at home readers can hardly do their travelling by proxy more easily than by running through her entertaining pages'.

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) published this book, the last before her death in childbirth, in 1796. The twenty-five letters are an account of a daring wartime trip to Scandinavia to attempt to retrieve a stolen ship for her lover, the American adventurer Gilbert Imlay. Her letters describe the people and culture she encountered, as well as the beautiful natural surroundings she observed. But in addition to a travelogue these letters include political reflections on controversial topics such as prison reform, as well as revealing a very personal story of inner turmoil and dislocation. Wollstonecraft's letters were written at a difficult period in her life - she had recently attempted suicide - and their themes and emotional content influenced the Romantic poets of the following generation, even though the book's initial popularity waned after her death. For more information on this author, see http://orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=wollma

Described by George Eliot as 'the only English woman that possesses thoroughly the art of writing', Harriet Martineau held a prominent position in the intellectual life of Victorian culture. This 1854 guide to Windermere was the first in her series of guides to the Lake District, leading eventually to her hugely successful Complete Guide to the English Lakes. In this Guide, Martineau engages with the emerging industry of literary tourism, and describes why the thriving village of Windermere warranted a 'new guide book'. She appreciatively details the natural features of the district and its architecture, and presents accounts of scenic walks and day tours to the neighbouring lakes, combining practical information with literary passages of description. An outstanding woman of her time, Martineau followed in Wordsworth's footsteps by fusing her identity with the local landscape of the Lake District, continuing its rich literary associations.

This two-volume English translation of part of a longer narrative by the Ottoman aristocrat Evliya Celebi (1611-c.1680) was published in 1834. It offers a fascinating assemblage of topics varying from the fountains of Istanbul to a journey to Georgia. Volume 1 includes a short biography of Celebi.

The radical writer and poet Helen Maria Williams (1759-1827) is best remembered for her eight-volume Letters from France (1790-6). First published in 1798, this two-volume political travelogue covers the journeys she made in Switzerland with John Hurford Stone following her flight from France in 1794.

Sir John Gardner Wilkinson (1797-1875) pioneered modern Egyptology and travelled widely during his life. In 1844, he gathered important historical and contemporary material as he toured little-known regions of the Adriatic coast. First published in 1848, this two-volume account of his travels is accompanied by many remarkable illustrations.

Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington (1789-1849), was famous for her charm and wit, which are reflected in this three-volume travel narrative, first published in 1839-40. Volume 1 contains anecdotes from France and Switzerland and ends with the author's encounter with Lord Byron in Genoa.

The social world of 'dandy' Thomas Raikes (1777-1848) included some of the most influential people of his day. Raikes was best known for his diaries, extracts from which were published in four volumes from 1856 to 1857. Volume 1 covers 1832-4, encompassing the Reform Act and Irish unrest.

Robert Pashley (1805-59) was a Trinity College, Cambridge Travelling Fellow who spent 1834 exploring the island of Crete, which was then under Egyptian administration, and published this two-volume account in 1837. Volume 1 discusses his arrival in Chania and the tensions between Christians and Muslims.

This two-volume Autobiography by Cornelia Knight (1757-1837), Lady Companion to Princess Charlotte, was compiled by Sir John Kaye and published in 1861. Volume 1 describes her childhood, time spent in Italy with Sir William and Lady Hamilton, and the events which led to Knight's dismissal by the Prince Regent.

John Davy (1790-1868) spent years as an army surgeon, and was stationed in the Mediterranean from 1824 to 1835. He took detailed notes on his surroundings, later published in this two-volume 1842 work. Volume 1 examines the history, geology, and climate of the Ionian Islands and Malta.

Targeted at both travellers and 'readers at home', Richard Ford's 1845 account of Spanish history, topography and culture combines the rigour of a gazetteer with the humour and pace of a private travel diary. Volume 1 leads the reader from Cadiz in Andalucia to Granada and on to Catalonia.

Lady Georgiana Chatterton (1806-1876) was a respected and prolific British romantic novelist and travel writer. These volumes, first published in 1839, contain Lady Chatterton's detailed accounts of various excursions she undertook in the south of Ireland. Volume 1 contains her excursions to Bantry and Killarney.

A rare first-hand Victorian account of this little-known region, published in 1888 when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In a highly engaging, anecdotal style, novelist Emily Gerard combines her personal recollections of with a detailed account of the landscape, people, superstitions and customs.

Mariana Starke's Travels in Italy (1802) is one of the best-loved travel guides of the nineteenth century. Volume 1 gives a detailed account of the political situation after Napoleon's first Italian campaigns and offers practical guidance for tourists visiting the major cultural sites and artistic treasures of the country.