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Although from North Wales, Thomas Pennant was initially known for his travel writing on Scotland, two well-regarded books about whose natural history were published in the early 1770s. And while his books on North Wales deal with geographical, mineralogical, botanical, ornithological, and ichthyological matters, A Tour in Wales, first publisned 1778, focuses primarily on the history and antiquities of the region. These he treated from a gentleman's perspective, his emphasis on the numerous castles, great Mediaeval families, and their estates or dominions; however, he does not neglect commerce,…mehr

Produktbeschreibung
Although from North Wales, Thomas Pennant was initially known for his travel writing on Scotland, two well-regarded books about whose natural history were published in the early 1770s. And while his books on North Wales deal with geographical, mineralogical, botanical, ornithological, and ichthyological matters, A Tour in Wales, first publisned 1778, focuses primarily on the history and antiquities of the region. These he treated from a gentleman's perspective, his emphasis on the numerous castles, great Mediaeval families, and their estates or dominions; however, he does not neglect commerce, festivals, or notable structures, like city walls, bridges, or canals. Special attention is paid to Owain Glyndŵr's conflict with Henry IV, a subject of enormous interest to the author. The text is bursting with a profusion of names, be it of locations or notable personages; thus, one has to admire Pennant's indefatigable thoroughness, laborious collecting of information, and remarkable erudition-particularly given the sources and tools available at the time, and the general difficulty in accessing books, maps, or documents. His prose is fluid, easy, and extraordinarily amenable, and comes enhanced with twenty-six beautiful engravings, first sketched on the field by Moses Griffiths, his travelling companion. Therefore, it is not surprising that Pennant's volume became the most significant literary reference for subsequent travel writers. His contemporary, Samuel Johnson praised him as a man who 'observes more things than any one else does', while his biographer, W. T. Parkins, considers this his 'best performance'.
Autorenporträt
Thomas Pennant (1726 - 1798) was born in Donning Hall, near Whitford, Flintshire, in North Wales. He was educated in Queen's College and in Oriel College, Oxford. A naturalist, travel writer, and antiquarian, he wrote numerous books on these subjects, which earned him praise for his powers of observation and shedding light into relatively obscure locations. Thanks to a wide circle of friends, correspondents, and field observers, he was adept at compiling other people's observations and ideas, and producing very readable travel guides. Samuel Johnson, who was influenced by his writings, praised him as 'the best traveller I have ever read'. Pennant was a member of the Royal Society, the Royal Society of Antiquaries, and the Royal Swedish Society of Sciences; he has over twenty species named after him.