Early Modern Tales of Orient: A Critical Anthology

Early Modern Tales of Orient challenges the widely held assumption that English travelers originally went to the Orient to colonize. Gathered together for the first time, this collection of Renaissance traveler's tales presents startling evidence that early modern journeys were oftentimes made not to conquer exotic foreign countries, but instead to beg favors. Entertaining and highly readable, these ten stories of exploration, diplomacy, commerce, and tourism were extremely popular in their own time. Though 400 years old, the stories bring to light issues that resonate today: Islamophobia, English nationalism, representations of Turks and Persians, and the Catholic/Protestant divide.