History Book Club Presents Tom Taylor & Loren Crabtree
A discussion led by Tom Taylor (PhD ‘88), associate professor of history at Seattle University, in discussion with Loren Crabtree (BA ‘61, PhD ‘69), emeritus provost of Colorado State University.
About the Book
Modern Travel in World History
(Routledge, June 2022)
Modern Travel in World History uses three themes—technology, mass movements and travelers—to examine the history of the modern world from the fifteenth-century transatlantic explorations to the impact of the global COVID pandemic of the twenty-first century.
This book focuses on both the evolving nature of travel, from land and sea routes in the 1500s to the domination of planes and cars in the modern world, and the important stories of travelers themselves. Taking a global perspective, the text places travel within the larger geopolitical, social, religious, and cultural developments throughout history. It emphasizes not only the role of technological innovation in the ways people travel but also how those changes affect social structures and cultural values.
Tom Taylor explores the journeys of well-known travelers as well as ordinary people, each with different perspectives, through the lens of gender, social class, and cultural background and considers how fictional travelers define the importance of travel in the modern world. Why people set out on the sojourns they did, what they experienced, who they met, and how they understood these cross-cultural encounters are important to not only understanding the travelers themselves but the world they lived in and the world their travels made. Several maps help illustrate important routes and destinations.
About the Hosts
Tom Taylor
Tom Taylor graduated with a PhD from the UMN history program in 1988 with a focus on modern Germany. Since his time with the U, he has done a broad variety of research, from soccer in the Twin Cities to the Russian Revolution. Currently, Taylor is an associate professor of modern Europe and world history at Seattle University, as well as teaching in their international studies department.
Loren Crabtree
Loren Crabtree is a specialist in 20th-century Chinese history. After receiving both his BA and PhD from the U, Dr. Crabtree had a dedicated 34-year teaching career at Colorado State University, serving as professor of history, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and provost/vice president for academic affairs. He also served as the chancellor of the University of Tennessee.