Review: Passionate Travellers by Trish Nicholson

Every now and then I read a book that strikes me as special and important. Earlier this year, I wrote about Ben Coates’s The Rhine in that way; now I’m writing about Trish Nicholson’s Passionate Travellers with the same feeling of ‘wow, what an incredible book.’

I was lucky enough to be asked to Beta read this collection of stories that Trish Nicholson has compiled, and as I read them, I found myself spellbound. Not only are the twenty one accounts of these individual travellers incredibly well researched and beautifully written, but they are astonishing testaments to the vision and courage of the people concerned. Dr Nicholson (for that she is) has chosen individuals throughout history whose lives were defined by their passion for travel, exploration, enquiry, collection and, in some cases, missionary work.

Even better, the list is composed of both men and women, and I have to say it was the women’s stories that interested and amazed me the most. In ages where the role of women was much more restricted in the western world than it is today, these driven and remarkable ladies set off on adventures that most of us today would hesitate to do, and without any of the comforts that we can rely on now. The hardships they endured are mind boggling; that along with the illness, natural disasters, wildlife hazards and horrible living conditions.

For anyone interested in both armchair travel and history, this book is a must read. It is also inspiring and shows us that while we think the world today is a dangerous place, there have been times in history when it was even more dangerous for travellers, and yet they still did it and (most of them) survived to tell the tale.

I can honestly say this is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read, and my thanks go to Trish Nicholson for inviting me to read it. I have been enriched and enthralled by these stories.

The link to the ebook on Amazon is here

However, I can recommend buying the real book, which is also available at the Book Depository here

It has maps to look at more easily than on an ereader and is just a lovely book to have on the shelf.

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