England's First European
John Gallagher marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of possibly the greatest, but least known, book of travels of early modern England, Fynes Moryson's An Itinerary.
John Gallagher, New Generation Thinker, marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of what might be the greatest, but littlest-known, book of travels of early modern England. Fynes Moryson was a young fellow of a Cambridge college when he left on a journey to Jerusalem and back. His monumental book 'An Itinerary' is a colourful, funny and touching account of one man's curious journey, meeting bandits in northern Germany, disguising himself as a Catholic Italian in order to see Rome and burying his brother's body by the side of the road on his return.
John Gallagher's Essay brings to life one of the great travel accounts of any period which includes detailed instructions to English travellers on how best to disguise themselves when travelling through Catholic Europe.
Recorded as part of Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival in front of an audience at Sage Gateshead.
New Generation Thinkers is a scheme run by 91热爆 Radio 3 with the Arts and Humanities Research Council to find academics who can turn their research into radio.
Producer: Fiona McLean.
Last on
More episodes
Broadcast
- Wed 29 Mar 2017 22:4591热爆 Radio 3
Free Thinking Festival 2017
Death in Trieste
Watch: My Deaf World
The Book that Changed Me
Five figures from the arts and science introduce books that changed their lives and work.
Podcast
-
The Essay
Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.