Taking as a starting point the parallel occurrence of Cook's Pacific voyages, the development of natural history, scenic tourism in Britain, and romantic travel in Europe, this book argues that the effect of these practices was the production of nature as an abstract space and that the genre of travel writing had a central role in reproducing it.
'Paul Smethurst's study of the conceptualisations of 'nature' in the heyday of scientific and Romantic explorations of the natural world is ambitious, shrewd and illuminating; and there's a stirring urgency in his own quest as he travels the intellectual territory - a tour de force, if he'll forgive the pun.' - Professor Malcolm Andrews, University of Kent, UK
'The scholarly breadth and intellectual ambition of Travel-Writing and the Natural World is a welcome addition to the field, making it indispensable reading for scholars and students alike.' - Nigel Leask, Literature & History
'The scholarly breadth and intellectual ambition of Travel-Writing and the Natural World is a welcome addition to the field, making it indispensable reading for scholars and students alike.' - Nigel Leask, Literature & History