The Boy Travellers in the Far East (5-vol. set) (ES)

A facsimile reprint of all five books in The Boy Travellers in the Far East: Adventures of Two Youths in a Journey (1879–84) series consisting of Japan and China (1879), Siam and Java (1880), Ceylon and India (1881), Egypt and the Holy Land (1882), and Africa (1883), all written by Thomas W. Knox (1835–96). The series, published during ‘the golden age of American children’s literature’ was very successful when published and remained popular among juvenile readers until the early twentieth century. Written in the rollicking style of adventure stories, the books follow two youths on journeys to Asia, Middle East, and Africa. The author strived to give his readers accurate and fascinating information. He made us of—and refers to—the finest research materials on the history and culture of foreign countries. With its many vivid illustrations (some in colour), the series gave a strong impression on his American young readers of the ‘exotic’ Far East. This reprint collection is a set of excellent cultural and historical documents about how children of nineteenth-century America imagined foreign lands. For those working in contemporary Cultural Studies, this series offers many suggestions for further research and provides lively working materials for students of the period.