5 Free eBooks That Might Inspire You To Travel

5 Free eBooks That Might Inspire You To Travel

One of the great things about free ebooks, apart from the fact that they are free, is their age. Many of the books that are available free online are more than a hundred years old, which makes them fascinating glimpses into the past. Thanks to the internet, television and even virtual reality technology, it is now possible to experience almost every corner of the globe without ever leaving your house. However, the following travel themed books are written from a historical perspective, which enables you to read about the world from a completely different perspective. Since many of the sights and sounds described in these books are no longer the same, they cast a different light on places you might already be familiar with too. So, check out the following free travel ebooks to experience the world from a different perspective and they might just inspire you to go on a traveling adventure of your own.

Across Asia On a Bicycle

by Thomas Gaskell Allen

Across Asia on a Bicycle is the tale of two young American students who used bicycles to travel from Constantinople to Peking. What makes this book so fascinating is that the trip took place in 1890 during a time when Asia was still a relatively unknown and exotic location to the outside world. Overall, the description of the journey is quite vivid and the locations that the two students visited will definitely cause some wanderlust with readers.

Across China on Foot

by Edwin Dingle

Across China was first published in 1911 and is considered by many people to be a travel classic. The author, Edwin Dingle, traveled up the Yangtze River from Shanghai before trekking across China by foot. It is quite a daunting journey and exposed Dingle to a side of China that wasn’t very known at the time. Dingle was very observant throughout his travels, which makes his account of the journey an interesting read.

Following The Equator

by Mark Twain

Most readers know Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne) as the author of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, but he also wrote about his travel experience. Twain is known for his colorful descriptions and these definitely shine through in this travel book. It was published in 1898 and chronicles the adventures of Twain as he visits places such as South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, India and more. It also contains plenty of social commentary by Twain as he speaks about the racism, oppression and religious intolerance he noticed around him during his journey.

How I Found Livingstone

by Henry M. Stanley

Everyone is familiar with the well known “Dr. Livingstone, I presume” greeting uttered by Henry Morton Stanley when he finally found David Livingstone in Africa. However, in order for this meeting to take place, Stanley had to undergo quite an arduous search, which he faithfully documented in this book. Everything from the preparations for the trip to the trip itself, finally meeting Livingstone and what happened afterwards is contained in this book.

An Inland Voyage

by Robert Louis Stevenson

For an adventure that is a little more leisurely, An Inland Voyage by Robert Louis Stevenson is highly recommended. It is one of the first travelogues from the author and describes a canoeing trip that he took through France and Belgium. The journey took place in 1876 and is one that has been re-enacted by many modern travelers since the release of the book. However, back when the book was written, not many people engaged in outdoor travel for leisure and their canoes were enough of a novelty to draw the attention of entire villages, which makes for humorous encounters.