I met near the base a young gentleman from Edinburgh who had left Rowardennan before us, and we commenced ascending together... We soon attained the summit, and, climbing up a little mound of earth and stones, I saw the half of Scotland at a glance. The clouds hung just above the mountain-tops, , which rose all around like the waves of a mighty sea. On every side, near and far, stood their misty summits, but Ben Lomand was the monarch of them all.
-from "Ben Lomand and the Highland Lakes," by Bayard Taylor
From the era from a trip to the Continent was rarer but more deeply appreciated comes an enchanting literary travelogue assembled from the hearts and minds of some of the greatest wordsmiths in the English language. A Grand Tour in 10 volumes, these delightful volumes, first published in 1914, gather little-seen essays from famous erudite explorers in compact collections that will inspire those who've never been abroad to make the journey, and move those who have to pack their bags again.
Volume II continues the series' exploration of Great Britain and Ireland through the eyes and prose of a panoply of extraordinary writers: Ralph Waldo Emerson discovers Stonehenge, Robert Louis Stevenson extols the virtues of Edinburgh, William Makepeace Thackeray visits Dublin on a summer, and much more by such notable voices as Sir Walter Scott, James Boswell, William Cullen Bryant, and others. Beautifully illustrated with charming photographs, it is a work to treasure... and to take along on your next trip.
OF INTEREST TO: armchair travelers, readers of classic literature
American journalist and historian FRANCIS WHITING HALSEY (1851-1919) was literary editor of The New York Times from 1892 through 1896. He wrote and lectured extensively on history, and also edited the two-volume Great Epochs in American History Described by Famous Writers, From Columbus to Roosevelt (1912).
