{"title":"Mary Wortley Montagu","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the fascinating world of the 18th century through the eyes of Mary Wortley Montagu, an extraordinary English aristocrat and writer. Her works offer a unique blend of travel and adventure, vividly capturing her experiences and observations during her travels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKnown primarily for \u003cem\u003eThe Turkish Embassy Letters\u003c\/em\u003e, Montagu's writing provides a rare and insightful glimpse into the social and cultural dynamics of the Ottoman Empire. Her keen observations and wit make her accounts as entertaining as they are informative. As an early travel writer, Montagu was a pioneer, offering perspectives that were both progressive and unprecedented for her time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDelve into Montagu's enlightening and adventurous narratives, where each page transports you to a world full of intrigue, discovery, and cultural exploration. Perfect for those interested in history, travel, and the perspectives of a remarkable woman who defied the conventions of her era.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-turkish-embassy-letters-by-mary-wortley-montagu-9781780600390","title":"The Turkish Embassy Letters","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMary Montagu was one of the most extraordinary characters in the world. She was a self-educated intellectual, a free spirit, a radical, a feminist but also an entitled aristocrat and a society wit with powerful friends at court.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1716, she travelled across Europe to take up residence in Istanbul as the wife of the British ambassador. Her letters remain as fresh as the day they were penned: enchanted by her discoveries of the life of Turkish women behind the veil, by Arabic poetry, and by contemporary medical practices, including inoculation. For two years, she lovingly observed Ottoman society as a participant, with affection, intelligence, and an astonishing lack of prejudice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eShe is one of the first modern travel writers and still one of the best, studying and recording a lived culture through its own values and its own language. In her own words, \u003cem\u003e'No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure more lasting.'\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'... one of the best narrative travel books ever written by an Englishwoman.' — Dervla Murphy\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Her letters have an immediacy and vivacity that remains as fresh as the mosaics on the ancient monuments she saw and the eastern gardens that gave her such delight.' — Anita Desai\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'... what fire, what ease, what knowledge of Europe and Asia.' — Gibbon\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47072386416876,"sku":"9781780600390","price":71.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/26790313482821.jpg?v=1765100562"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/mary-wortley-montagu.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}