For readers interested in China depicted by western travellers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this set focuses on the theme "The Silk Road" and features five books written by explorers from various walks of life, including:Through Hidden Shensiby Francis H. Nichols, 1902In Forbidden China: The D'Ollone Mission 1906–1909;China—Tibet—Mongoliaby Vicomte d'Ollone, 1911Across China on Foot: Life in the Interior andthe Reform Movementby Edwin J. Dingle, 1911Among the Celestials: A Narrative of Travelsin Manchuria, Across the Gobi Desert,Through the Himalayas to Indiaby Francis Younghusband, 1898In the Footsteps of Marco Polo: Being the Accountof a Journey Overland from Simla to Pekinby Clarence Dalrymple Bruce, 1907Each volume of the collection aims to reignite interest and also to allow readers to explore how these books relate to the region today.