The Encyclopedia of Women’s Travel and Exploration

This is an interesting work and one that, perhaps, is overdue. The preface tells us that women have travelled the world throughout history, but until recently their contributions to the field of exploration have largely been ignored. Nowadays, the media and big business are finding it hard to ignore the likes of Ellen MacArthur who recently sailed round the world single‐handed in Kingfisher. In Victorian times, Mary Kingsley, whose adventures travelling through Africa probably equalled those of David Livingstone, failed to attract the support from her peers that she deserved. In fact, women in Victorian and Edwardian times were...