Medieval English Travel: A Critical Anthology

Book Review

The anthology «Medieval English Travel» edited by Anthony Bale is a refined collection of voices and journeys in which medieval England emerges not only as a geographical space but as a cultural crossroads where dream and reality, faith and doubt meet. With exquisite precision, Bale selects texts that allow the reader to hear the true breath of the age: pilgrimage diaries, merchants’ notes, travel chronicles filled with the thrill of discovery and the anxiety of the unknown. The book does more than gather scattered testimonies; it weaves them into a complex mosaic, where each fragment is a window into a world full of wonders and dangers. Critics note that Bale has managed to avoid academic dryness: his commentary is subtle, and his introductions to the texts are rich in historical context and a genuine interest in human destiny. Particularly impressive is how the author reveals the inner drama of travel—the encounter with the other, the crossing of boundaries, the search for meaning along the way. This anthology is not only a scholarly work but also a literary event, returning to the modern reader the forgotten art of seeing the world through the eyes of a wanderer.