"In the airy, self deprecating style of Robert Louis Stevenson, an American couple captured the imaginations of UK and US readers through the five illustrated cycle-travel books they created beginning in the 1880s. Yes, bikes existed back then—they were all the rage, in fact—and Elizabeth and Joseph Pennell succeeded in bringing the leisure touring idea to the forefront through their jaunts aboard a tandem tricycle outfitted with luggage racks.... Cycling historian Dave Buchanan contributes an enlightening introduction which grounds the couple in the literary/art world of the late nineteenth century and gives a gearhead sense of bicycling history. But Elizabeth’s delightful prose steals the show..."
Foreword Magazine
"Cycling historian Dave Buchanan contributes an enlightening introduction which grounds the couple in the literary/art world of the late nineteenth century and gives a geared sense of bicycling history."
Matt Sutherland
Foreword Reviews
"[T]he books and articles penned by the Pennells rise to the level of literature. Elizabeth did most of the writing, while Joseph, a lithographer, contributed detailed illustrations of their wanderings."
Duncan Jamieson
AETHLON: The Journal of Sport Literature
"A Canterbury Pilgrimage/An Italian Pilgrimage is a beautifully illustrated quick read that gives the reader a wonderful sense of how cycling used to be. I was particularly interested in their description of cycling from Florence through Tuscany via Siena as I’ve pedaled these hills myself. Moreover, Dave Buchanan’s extensive (57-page) introduction puts the Pennells’ cycling stories into the perspective of the time. If you are looking for a diversion, this is a great little book that is both interesting and beautiful." [Full post at https://nicolaross.ca/a-boneshaking-ride-on-a-velocipede-the-beginning-of-cycle-touring]
Nicola Ross, 01/10/2022