Folio Archives 428: Travels Through France and Italy by Tobias Smollett 1979
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1wcarter
Travels Through France and Italy by Tobias Smollett 1979
I found this book in a weekend market bookstall for A$5 (£2.50) and so purchased it, knowing nothing about it other than it was a Folio Society book. I was pleasantly surprised to find it a very interesting read.
In June 1763, the 34 year old Tobias Smollett, a Scottish author (Peregrine Pickle, Roderick Random), translator (Candide, Don Quixote) and surgeon, set off from London towards southern France with his wife and a servant in order to improve his asthma. In letters back to England he describes his journey in great detail. The discomfort in crossing the Channel, the tribulations of the coach journey through France via Paris, Lyons and Montpellier to his destination of Nice where he rents a house for a year.
He describes his problems with petty officials, bad roads, bad horses, bad inns, larcenous groomsmen, broken axles, mud bogs and every other vicissitude imaginable. He did not travel light, taking with him chests of books, crockery, cutlery and linen as well as clothing and food supplies. Journeying across Europe 250 years ago was not easy.
From Nice he takes a side trip to Rome via Genoa, Pisa and Florence, using small boats, carriages and mules, which he again describes in detail. At each destination he gives information about the lifestyle of the inhabitants, the economy, the important sights and the history. He is biased against the governments of the countries he visits, and he was a rampant anti-Catholic. Despite these limitations, this is fascinating stuff for a student of history or anyone who has also travelled through these areas and cities.
The 278 page book is introduced by Christopher Hibbert and is illustrated with twenty contemporary monochrome portraits and prints. It is quarter bound in a black cloth binding with pale blue front and yellow back paper covers, each cover blocked with a repeat pattern in dark blue (front) or brown (back) by Sebastian Carter. The page tops are stained dark grey. The map endleaves show central Europe and are printed blue on grey at front, brown on yellow at back. The plain off-white slipcase measures 26x16.4cm.
Map of the journey taken from Wikipedia.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
I found this book in a weekend market bookstall for A$5 (£2.50) and so purchased it, knowing nothing about it other than it was a Folio Society book. I was pleasantly surprised to find it a very interesting read.
In June 1763, the 34 year old Tobias Smollett, a Scottish author (Peregrine Pickle, Roderick Random), translator (Candide, Don Quixote) and surgeon, set off from London towards southern France with his wife and a servant in order to improve his asthma. In letters back to England he describes his journey in great detail. The discomfort in crossing the Channel, the tribulations of the coach journey through France via Paris, Lyons and Montpellier to his destination of Nice where he rents a house for a year.
He describes his problems with petty officials, bad roads, bad horses, bad inns, larcenous groomsmen, broken axles, mud bogs and every other vicissitude imaginable. He did not travel light, taking with him chests of books, crockery, cutlery and linen as well as clothing and food supplies. Journeying across Europe 250 years ago was not easy.
From Nice he takes a side trip to Rome via Genoa, Pisa and Florence, using small boats, carriages and mules, which he again describes in detail. At each destination he gives information about the lifestyle of the inhabitants, the economy, the important sights and the history. He is biased against the governments of the countries he visits, and he was a rampant anti-Catholic. Despite these limitations, this is fascinating stuff for a student of history or anyone who has also travelled through these areas and cities.
The 278 page book is introduced by Christopher Hibbert and is illustrated with twenty contemporary monochrome portraits and prints. It is quarter bound in a black cloth binding with pale blue front and yellow back paper covers, each cover blocked with a repeat pattern in dark blue (front) or brown (back) by Sebastian Carter. The page tops are stained dark grey. The map endleaves show central Europe and are printed blue on grey at front, brown on yellow at back. The plain off-white slipcase measures 26x16.4cm.
Map of the journey taken from Wikipedia.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
2Bibliophile-I
Sounds like a good read. I love British books from the 1600s-1700s. $3.20 USD isn’t a bad deal.
