There and Back

Description

Though travelling is lauded as a means of enriching our lives, the emphasis is generally on the destination rather than the journey. Yet, throughout human history, routes have ferried not just people but books, scrolls, and art, in addition to armies, ambassadorial entourages, slaves, brides, and pilgrims. The interaction of people on routes generated surprising innovations.
Through myths, memoirs, and songs associated with twelve such great routes across five continents, historian Stewart Gordon shows how they captured the collective imagination and shaped the expectations of generations of would-be travellers.

About the Author
Stewart Gordon is an independent research scholar connected with the South Asia Center of the University of Michigan, USA. Gordon is best known for his extensive writing on the Marathas, including The Marathas, 1600–1818 (recently translated into Marathi) and several dozen articles on South Asian and World History.
His book When Asia Was the World is a bestseller and has been translated into seven languages.

Table of contents

Introduction
Acknowledgements

Part I River Routes
Introduction
The Rhine
The Nile
The Mississippi

Part II Pilgrimage Routes
Introduction
The Silk Road: By Land and Sea
Santiago de Compostela
The Hajj

Part III Tribute Routes
Introduction
The Appian Way
The Grand Canal
The Inka Route

Part IV Trade Routes
Introduction
The Indian Ocean
The Trans-Sahara
The Erie Canal
Conclusion
Index
About the Author