It was a time when imperial splendor burned brightly, when monumental political and social changes swept across China, says Dup矇e (history, La Sierra U., California), when pre-world-war
optimism trumpeted ideals of human progress in a world and a China that was malleable to western intentions. The British travel writers he examines could travel without the trappings of the
modern tourist industry and its hordes, and often considered themselves venturing off the beaten track, though in fact they generally stayed within the circuitry of prescribed Western
settlement. He calls them travel savants, because they projected persona as wise and perceptive travelers who were heavy with insights acquired from past travels and the current state of China.
The text is double spaced. Annotation 穢2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
