Tim Youngs is Professor of English and Travel Studies at Nottingham Trent University. His publications include the forthcoming Beastly Journeys: Travel and Transformation at the fin de siècle (2012) and, as co-editor, The Cambridge Companion to Travel Writing (2002). In 1997, he founded Studies in Travel Writing and continues to serve as the journal's editor.

• Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction: defining the terms; Part I. Historical Overview: 2. Medieval and early modern travel writing; 3. Travel writing in the long eighteenth century; 4. Travel writing in the long nineteenth century; 5. 1900 to the present; Part II. Continuities and Departures: 6. Quests; 7. Inner journeys; 8. Traveling b(l)ack; 9. Gender and sexuality; Part III. Writing and Reading Travel: 10. Writing travel; 11. Reading travel writing; 12. The way ahead: current travel writing; Bibliography; Index.

'Youngs considers the past, present and future of 'this often exasperating, often exhilarating genre', points up current trends such as nature writing, and concludes that the future of travel writing is both certain and glorious. Hurrah!' Sunday Times