An increasingly popular genre - addressing issues of empire, colonialism, post-colonialism, globalization, gender and politics - travel writing offers the reader a movement between the familiar and the unknown.

In this volume, Carl Thompson:

• introduces the genre, outlining competing definitions and key debates
• provides a broad historical survey from the medieval period to the present day
• explores the autobiographical dimensions of the form
• looks at both men and women's travel writing, surveying a range of canonical and more marginal works, drawn from both the colonial and postcolonial era
• utilises both British and American travelogues to consider the genre's role in shaping the history of both nations.

Concise and practical, Travel Writing is the ideal introduction for those new to the subject, as well as a crucial overview of current debates in the field.