Loneliness and Time: The Story of British Travel Writing

Cocker, biographer of the naturalist Richard Meinertzhagen, has formulated a loosely organized and highly academic inquiry into 20th-century travel writing by examining and contrasting a variety of books written by explorers. Included are Lt. Col. Frederick Marshman Bailey ( China-Tibet-Assam , 1945), whose observations on his experiences in Asia typify the school of travel writing that emphasized the accurate recording of facts; Laurens van de Post ( The Lost World of the Kalahari , 1958), who viewed his treks in Africa through mystical and philosophical eyes; and Lawrence Durrell ( Prospero's Cell , 1945), who described Greece as an idyllic and eternal society. Cocker offers insights into the usefulness of travel as a journey into the unconscious and a return to the freedom of childhood. His scholarly work will appeal primarily to those with a strong interest in the subject. Illustrations. (Apr.)