Towns of Destiny

From the busy streets of Spanish towns to the quiet corners of French villages, the great traveler Hilaire Belloc pays tribute in this charming and poetic work to places saturated with cultural, spiritual, and political significance. The ancient layers of the countryside and storied urban centers spring to life as Belloc traverses the African shore of the Mediterranean, the Iberian peninsula, France, and the Rhineland, sharing vivid tales and erudite commentary.'Spain contributes considerable material to Hilaire Belloc’s delightful and stimulating [book],' writes a New York Times reviewer in 1928, 'which, of course, tells us as much about Mr. Belloc himself as about the places he passes through. The book is nonetheless interesting for that, for its author’s individuality would impart liveliness to the dullest region.' Towns of Destiny serves in many ways as a window into a Europe that no longer exists: much of the life that Belloc experienced as he wandered would be erased in just a few short decades of war, revolution, and industrial development, even if the essence of the Mediterranean world has left its mark in stone and spirit across the ages. Belloc’s characteristic melancholia suffuses this travelogue and makes it a philosophical reflection on life, death, the rise and fall of civilizations, and the loves that bring meaning to human hearts.