Grand Tours and Cook's Tours: A History of Leisure Travel, 1750-1915

The grand and fashionable European tours of the 18th century have undergone a dramatic change over the past century, becoming open and accessible to every youth with a backpack and a good stomach. This history is well done--it includes intelligent analysis and the experiences of James Boswell, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Emily Post. But not everything's changed. Even back in 1780 folks were complaining that their treasured havens were overrun with "tourists."