Nineteenth-Century Travels, Explorations and Empires, Part I Vol 1 - North and South Poles

A collection of writings on travels undertaken in the Victorian era. The texts collected in these volumes show how 19th century travel literature served the interests of empire by promoting British political and economic values that translated into manufacturing goods. A great consolidation of British imperial power began after the Romantic era, and the period 1835{u2013}1910 saw Britain emerge as the dominant world force for the nineteenth century. As the British empire continued to expand, so too did the range of travellers, explorers, soldiers, diplomats, missionaries and natural historians journeying to many distant parts of the globe. Many of these individuals published accounts of their experiences, perhaps drawn to the task by the possibility of a substantial financial return, as well as the gratification of having a substantial audience for them. The British audience was eager for the exciting narratives of different worlds and cultures, complete with details of exotic lands and peoples. Among the events depicted in this collection are the search for the lost expedition of Sir John Franklin, the Indian Mutiny and the opium wars with China