Books in the Cambridge Library Collection - Travel, Middle East and Asia Minor series

Adventurous and unconventional, Lady Hester Stanhope (1776-1839) left England to travel to the East in the early nineteenth century. This three-volume work, first published in 1846, was written by her physician Charles Meryon (1783-1877), who travelled with her for seven years before returning to England to complete his medical studies.

This two-volume work, first published in 1877, recounts British army officer Frederick Burnaby's two-thousand mile journey through Asia Minor to assess Turkey's chances in the impending war with Russia. On the way he creates vivid snapshots of the region and of the people he encounters.

Cornish-born writer, traveller and controversialist James Silk Buckingham (1786-1855) published this two-volume work in 1829; the 1830 reprint is reissued here. It traces his journey from Baghdad to the Persian Gulf, from where he sailed for Bombay, and describes both the ancient sites and the modern inhabitants.

Robert Walpole (1781-1856) produced this collection of unpublished writings on Greece and Turkey in 1820, following the success of his earlier compilation of 1817 (also reissued in this series). It includes travel writing, natural history and antiquarian items, showing the wide interests of cultured gentlemen at the time.

The archaeologist D. G. Hogarth (1862-1927) was, during the First World War, instrumental in launching the Arab Revolt, in which T. E. Lawrence, a protege of his, played so prominent a part. This historiographical summary of earlier explorations in the Arabian peninsula illuminates his subsequent political involvement with the region.

In this 1879 book, Loftie gives details of visits to the famous sites, but, unusually, takes notice of the political state of Egypt, and is trenchant in some of his criticisms. He also goes off the beaten track, making excursions away from the river, rather than travelling only by boat.

This two-volume work by the biblical scholar and geographer Sir George Adam Smith (1856-1942) was first published in 1907-8. Illustrated throughout, it spans more than fourteen centuries from 1400 BCE to 70 CE. Volume 1 covers the topography, economics and politics of ancient Jerusalem.

This medieval Arabic history, ascribed to the Egyptian scholar Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (1445-1505), was translated by the orientalist James Reynolds (1805-66) and published in 1836. Containing rich descriptions of religious places in Jerusalem, it is a key source for the city's architectural and topographical history.

An account of Captain Burnaby's remarkable 1875 journey through Russian territory during the 'Great Game', when Russia and Britain vied to control central Asia. The book, published in 1876 and immediately reprinted, brought him instant fame. It features maps of the route he travelled and an appendix.

Informed by a lifetime of foreign service, for over a century this 1815 work was the definitive chronicle of Persia. Volume 1 'commences in the fabulous ages', leads readers through the country's ancient dynasties and military engagements, and concludes in 1722 with the reign of Mahmood.

Blending accounts of customs and communities with over three hundred photographs, Bell leads readers from the Mosque of 'Umar to Kanawat and the Dead Sea. Although often picturesque, the significant is never overshadowed by the spectacular, making this perceptive account of Syria as significant today as it was in 1907.

Detailed 1919 exploration of the construction, destruction and restoration of the venerated church, as well as its role in Christian history and pilgrimage. Features plans of the different phases of building, descriptions of medieval copies of the church in Europe and a summary of other important holy sites in Jerusalem.

Ramsay's The Historical Geography of Asia Minor (1890) was a pioneering work of classical topography, and remains a key reference for archaeologists, classicists and New Testament scholars. It examines the trade routes and road systems of Roman and Byzantine Asia Minor and its political divisions into cities and bishoprics.

Clergyman and ornithologist H. B. Tristram, an early supporter of Darwin, became a Fellow of the Royal Society and Canon Residentiary of Durham. This 1873 account, one of his many popular works on the Biblical Lands, records his discoveries, in both archaeology and natural science, east of the Dead Sea.

Ornithologist and clergyman H. B. Tristram's 1865 account of a journey through Palestine, is written with the aim of demonstrating that the Bible accurately describes the region. Tristram was also one of Darwin's earliest public supporters, making this book a fascinating document of the contemporary relationship between religion and the natural sciences.

Later viceroy of India, George Curzon (1859-1925) published this highly regarded two-volume work on Persia in 1892, following his travels in the country. Convinced of the political importance of this region as a buffer against Russian influence, Curzon gives an overview of Persian history, society, geography and politics.

Charles Doughty says in his preface to Travels in Arabia Deserta (first published in 1888) that he has tried to 'set forth faithfully some parcel of the soil of Arabia'. This is a classic and justly famous account of an area previously little known to Westerners.

Sketches of Persia, although published anonymously in 1827, is attributed to Indian diplomat Sir John Malcolm (1769-1833). He was fluent in Persian and was posted to Persia for part of his career. In Volume 1 Malcolm starts his journey in Bombay and finishes in Persepolis.

Described as 'a man of sterling common sense', the naval officer Sir Adolphus Slade (1804-1877) was one of the most knowledgeable travel writers of his time. This 1832 account of his early travels in the Mediterranean and Turkey contains entertaining descriptions of fashions and superstitions, dignitaries, despots and pirates.

John Lewis Burckhardt (1784-1817) was a Swiss explorer who explored Arabia and the Middle East in the guise of a Muslim. First published in 1830, these volumes contain Burckhardt's description of Bedouin society and history of the Wahhabi Islamic sect. Volume 1 contains his description of the Bedouin.

Physician Robert Richardson (1779-1847) accompanied the household of the earl of Belmore on a tour of the eastern Mediterranean in his yacht, and dedicated this two-volume work to his patron in 1822. Volume 1 recounts their journey up the Nile, exploring both the antiquities of Egypt and the modern cities.

Published posthumously in 1831, this two-volume work by James Rennell, the father of historical geography, surveys an area from Egypt to the Danube and from the Aegean to the Caspian Sea. Volume 1 lays out his geographical findings, and begins to discuss the relations of modern to ancient sites.

First published in 1843, this two-volume travelogue recounts British officer James Abbott's diplomatic mission through Central Asia and Russia, undertaken in 1839 to ensure British influence in the region. In Volume 2, Abbott chronicles his journey to St Petersburg via Moscow and recounts his general impressions of Russia.

Lady Hester Stanhope (1776-1839) was a remarkable woman who left England to travel to the Middle East in 1810. This three-volume work, first published in 1845, contains letters she sent to her personal physician and his memories of her. Volume 1 covers the period between 1823 and 1837.

Richard Francis Burton (1821-90) spent two years as consul of Damascus, giving him unprecedented access to some of Syria's most remote areas and local culture, politics and religion. Published in 1872 in collaboration with Charles Drake (1846-74), this is a frank two-volume account of a country's developing identity.

First published in 1881, this book is the personal diary for the period 1672-3 of Antoine Galland (1646-1715), the French orientalist and translator of The Thousand and One Nights. It contains details of Galland's life as a librarian and secretary to the French ambassador in Istanbul.

The diplomat and M.P. William Hamilton (1805-67) was also a keen geologist and a protege of Sir Roderick Murchison. This prize-winning two-volume work, published in 1842, describes his 1835 journeys through Asia Minor, researching both the geology and the archaeological sites of an area then little explored by Europeans.

Buckingham (1786-1855) was a Cornish-born traveller, writer and Member of Parliament. In Volume 1, first published in 1827, he traces in great detail his journey through Mesopotamia, the present Iraq. He describes the journey from Aleppo, the largest city in Syria to Sinjar in the North West of Iraq.

The talented British linguist, ethnologist and explorer Richard F. Burton (1821-90) was one of the first Europeans to visit Mecca and survive to tell the tale. This lively three-volume account, published 1855-6, vividly describes his experiences in 1853, when he travelled there under the disguise of a pilgrim.

John Lewis Burckhardt (1784-1817) was a Swiss explorer who explored Arabia and the Middle East in the guise of a Muslim. First published posthumously in 1829, these volumes contain his important and fascinating descriptions of Mecca and Medina. Volume 1 describes the city of Mecca.