Orientations

This title includes excerpts from over 100 travel writings of Europe, from 16th c. pilgrimage diaries through early specimens of modern tourism accounts to 20th c. impressions from the other side of the Iron Curtain. By focusing on east European travel writings, this work enlarges both the documentary base and the terms of the debate over a rich source for discussions of identities and mentalities; knowledge and power; gender; and, cultural change. The texts - chosen for their relevance, but literary criteria have also been taken into account - illustrate the variety of ways in which east Europeans have written about the West. Each text is introduced with a short passage placing it in context. There is an appendix of all cited authors at the end, with brief notes on lives, writings, etc. The 1st volume of a series, complete with a comparative analysis and a bibliographic guide to travel writings from eastern Europe (also available).