In 1850 Laurence Oliphant set out to Nepal at the invitation of General Jung Bahadour, the Prime Minister of that remote Himalayan country. Observing that his path to greatness had been deluged with the blood of the bravest nobles of the land, Oliphant diplomatically applauded the peace and prosperity the general had brought his country, went tiger hunting with him, and wrote the bestselling Journey to Katmandu. Scarcely had it been published but he was off again, crossing Russia from St. Petersburg and Moscow down the Volga and Don to the Black Sea. The resulting narrative, The Russian Shores of the Black Sea, was a masterpiece of wry observation, unfazed spirit and indomitable relish in the new tradition of Kinglakes Eothen. This volume includes both of Oliphants classic travel books and many of the drawings the author made on the Russian journey.