Transport Revolution and Travels to Asia, 1860s-1920s

During the ?long? 19th century, a technological revolution occurred, leading to the emergence of new means of transport such as steamships, railways, cars, aeroplanes, bicycles, and rickshaws. This transport revolution not only fundamentally transformed modes of travel and made distant lands more accessible, but it also significantly impacted how travellers experienced the world. The authors of this volume aim to deepen the understanding of the influence of these new modes of transportation and their coexistence with older ones by incorporating a comprehensive range of sources written by both European and Asian travellers. The approach presented in this volume is inspired by the anthropology of the senses, the sociology of travel, and the cultural history of transport. These methodological frameworks are applied to accounts of travels to, from, and within Asia. This perspective enables a focus on various contexts not visible in Europe, including imperialism, Eurocentric approaches to modernisation, and the reactions of colonised peoples to these developments.

?The book considers how technological innovations and transport improvements (such as the train, motorcar, and bike) dramatically transformed perspectives and intensified European experiences of the Asian space. Its authors offer a combination of detailed text interpretations with well-presented theoretical insights. This excellent and highly readable book will fascinate specialists and non-specialists alike?.

Wojciech Tomasik, Professor of Polish Literature and Culture, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland

?This is an important new contribution that not only fills gaps in our knowledge but also opens new avenues for research. This collection will remain a reference point in imagology for many years?.

Zoran Milutinović, Professor of South Slav Literature and Modern Literary Theory, University College London, UK