In 1867 Mark Twain joined a group of American tourists sailing to Europe and the Holy Land aboard the steamship Quaker City. Offering ‘no apologies for any departures from the usual style of travel-writing’, Twain produced a merciless satire on contemporary travel guides and a hugely entertaining account of his fellow ‘pilgrims’ and their ‘pleasure trip’, describing incidents such as a communal fumigation in Italy as well as the scenery and sights.