Rambles in the Islands of Corsica and Sardinia

Mountain roads, coastal towns and local customs shape Thomas Forester's account of Corsica and Sardinia. Published in 1858, the volume combines travel observations with discussions of island history, antiquities and public institutions. Its route passes through places such as Bastia, Corte, Ajaccio and Bonifacio before crossing to Sardinia, where mountain passes, forests and towns extend the account's range.

Forester pays close attention to the material details of the landscape. Near Sartene, he describes olive groves, vineyards, evergreen shrubs and granite quarries, linking scenery with agriculture and useful stone. Accounts of family feuds and local divisions sit beside these observations, while his preface records a later visit to Sardinia and work on a submarine telegraph cable at Cagliari. Readers interested in historical travel writing can follow how one English visitor brought together landscape, social commentary and the changing connections of two Mediterranean islands.