In this revealing book, the author brings together portraits of some of the most entertaining and fascinating travellers of the 20th century. Extracts and quotes provide intriguing insights into their journeys, their experiences and their ambitions, as well as giving a glimpse of some of the far-flung places they have explored.

Even with the increase in international travel, many of us will never experience at first hand the places described by travel writers. Their powers of observation have the ability to inspire and to increase our understanding of the world. This revealing book brings together portraits of some of the most entertaining and fascinating travellers of the 20th century. Biographical studies of authors including Gertrude Bell, Graham Greene, George Orwell, Lawrence Durrell, Peter Fleming, Laurie Lee, Gerald Brenan, Freya Stark, Bruce Chatwin, Jan Morris and William Dalrymple celebrate the strengths of their writing as well as their appetite for adventure. Extracts and quotes provide intriguing insights into their journeys, their experiences and their ambitions, as well as giving a glimpse of some of the far-flung places they have explored.