This work investigates how the British middle class transformed the Mediterranean into a cultural and social extension of their own society between 1830 and 1914. John Pemble, a historian of British culture, utilizes a wide array of primary sources, including travelogues, medical records, and personal correspondence, to analyze the motivations behind this mass migration. He argues that the influx of British travelers was not merely a pursuit of leisure, but a complex interaction of medical necessity, religious exploration, and aesthetic consumption that fundamentally altered both the travelers and the regions they visited.

Historians and scholars of the Victorian era frequently cite this text for its detailed examination of the intersection between British social attitudes and foreign travel. The prose is noted for its academic rigor and its ability to synthesize diverse cultural threads into a coherent historical narrative.