Medieval Travellers

Adventure, religion, politics, amusement: they're all here in abundance, in this vivid account of the upper-class men and women who journeyed the world in medieval days. With information culled from personal writings, chroniclers' notices, and varied financial reports, it presents a surprising and fascinating portrait of the age--including a vision of touring so lavish and comfortable that it puts contemporary travel to shame. And, contrary to expectations, even in those plane-free days, some people covered thousands of miles a year. Among the medieval globetrotters: Sir Thomas Becket; Mary, the daughter of Edward I and a most restless nun; and Bertandon de la Broquiere, the Burgunidan squire who disguised himself as a Turk to join a caravan returning from Mecca.