Edited by Mark MacKenzie and published this March, Curiosities and Splendour is Lonely Planet’s collection of classic travel literature from 29 great authors and adventurers.

Lonely Planet journeys back in time with this anthology of celebrated travel writing. The selected tales illuminate an array of extraordinary experiences over land and sea that continue to captivate contemporary audiences. The book’s Editor Mark MacKenzie introduces each tale. “The best travel writing evokes not just a sense of place, or of wonder, but relates its story with a distinctive voice,” he said. “Perhaps all that needs to be said is that the very finest travel writing elevates the everyday to the sublime.”

Curiosities and Splendour includes tales Robert Falcon Scott’s doomed Antarctic expedition of 1910-13, Robert Byron’s 10-month journey through Persia to Afghanistan in the early 30s, Jack London’s 1907 sailing adventure across the south Pacific, and Teddy Roosevelt’s scientific exploration of the Brazilian jungle’s exotic flora and fauna, and more. Each author and their piece of writing is introduced by editor Mark Mackenzie, who gives context to the work and provides an insightful look into how travel has changed since they were originally published.

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