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By Robert Louis Stevenson.

An Inland Voyage, the lead story in Volume 1of the works of  Robert Louis Stevenson, is a travel narrative, chronicling his canoe journey with his friend Sir Walter Simpson through the rivers and canals of Belgium and northern France in 1876. The book is Stevenson's first published work and is written in a richly descriptive and reflective style that blends travelogue with personal observation and cultural commentary. Their journey follows a winding path along the River Oise and other waterways, taking them through quaint villages, farmlands, and forested regions of a rural Europe that was rapidly changing. Underlying the travel narrative is a strong romantic sensibility—an admiration for the slow rhythm of river travel, a yearning for solitude and contemplation, and a quiet rebellion against the industrialized world. The voyage becomes not just a geographical journey, but a philosophical one as Stevenson muses on freedom, idleness, companionship, and the pleasures of the open road (or water).

While not a work of drama or high adventure, An Inland Voyage is valued for its lyrical style, gentle wit, and the early glimpse it offers into Stevenson’s literary voice. It also prefigures themes that would recur in his later works: a fascination with journeying, a sensitivity to character and setting, and a subtle questioning of societal norms. Overall, An Inland Voyage is a charming and meditative account that blends lighthearted anecdotes with deeper reflection, portraying a world both tranquil and quietly profound through Stevenson’s perceptive and poetic eye.

Underlying the travel narrative is a strong romantic sensibility—an admiration for the slow rhythm of river travel, a yearning for solitude and contemplation, and a quiet rebellion against the industrialized world. The voyage becomes not just a geographical journey, but a philosophical one as Stevenson muses on freedom, idleness, companionship, and the pleasures of the open road (or water). While not a work of drama or high adventure, An Inland Voyage is valued for its lyrical style, gentle wit, and the early glimpse it offers into Stevenson’s literary voice. It also prefigures themes that would recur in his later works: a fascination with journeying, a sensitivity to character and setting, and a subtle questioning of societal norms.

Other works in this volume include Travels with a Donkey, A Mountain Town in France, and Edinburgh Picturesque Notes.

Read-Me.Org Inc. Australia. 2025 . 220p.

USED BOOK. MAY CONTAIN MARK-UP

By W. A. Heurtley, H. C. Darby C.W. Crawley And C.M. Woodhouse

FROM THE COVER: “An introduction to Greek history from prehistoric times until the end of 1964. It is based on the historical sections of the Hand- book first issued by the Naval Intelligence Division of the Admiralty during the war and is a companion volume to the successful series of short histories of France, Germany, Italy and Yugoslavia already published. The original contributors were the late W. A. Heurtley, Professor H. C. Darby and C. W. Crawley. The final section has been written by the Hon. C. M. Wood- house, who was formerly Director-General of the Royal Institute of International Affairs. This history will appeal to general readers and tourists as well as students in universities and schools.

'This extraordinary book compresses into 183 pages of text the history of mainland Greece from the earliest times to the end of 1964. What is more, itdoes so from the unfamiliar perspective of the present day . . . Anyone would gain by reading this short book; but most of all, perhaps, those who have attacked Greek history through the other end of the telescope.' Economist

London. Cambridge At The University Press. 1967. 210p.