An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List
221. Holidays: Byron's Grand Tour
August 15, 2022
Description
Books Referenced
Author: Geoffrey Chaucer
Context:
Referenced when discussing pilgrimages as a Catholic tradition - 'as anyone who's read Canterbury Tales will know'
Author: Linda Colley
Context:
Referenced when discussing Britain defining itself against the continent in the 18th century - 'The age of kind of Linda Colley's Britain'
Author: Richard Lassels
Context:
Explicitly mentioned as a book written by the Catholic priest who coined the term 'Grand Tour' in 1670
Author: Thomas Guidotti
Context:
Explicitly described as 'his most successful book' published in 1676, which helped popularize Bath as a spa destination
Author: Tobias Smollett
Context:
Explicitly called 'a brilliant book' - an epistolary novel featuring a grumpy Welsh squire who criticizes Bath
Author: Jane Austen
Context:
Referenced when quoting Lydia Bennett and her mother's exclamation about Brighton - 'as all readers of Jane Austen will recognize'
Author: Lord Byron
Context:
Discussed extensively as Byron's poem about his travels abroad, described as 'the best-selling poem ever in English publishing, British publishing history'