Grand Tours and Cooks' Tours: A History of Leisure Travel, 1750 to 1915

This fine book caused me to revisit Alexander Kinglake's EOTHEN and realize how good it was, too. Ms. Withey's prose style is highly readable, making easy reading for such an immense subject. The bibliography is a research treasure on its own. The author works in gentle irony and wit in a way that does not interfere with her subject matter. She does not let drop such items as the search for the perfect way to Italy but, rather, consistently mines these deserving themes once they are introduced. I highly recommend this book