Holy Places: How Pilgrimage Changed the World (Hardback) - Kathryn Hurlock

An exploration of pilgrimage, through 19 breath-taking sights across the globe

'A timely, wide-ranging and well-researched book that expanded my understanding of pilgrimage' Tristan Gooley, author of How To Read A Tree This year, as they have for millennia, many people around the world will set out on pilgrimages. But these are not only journeys of personal and spiritual devotion - they are also political acts, affirmations of identity and engagements with deep-rooted historical narratives. Kathryn Hurlock follows the trail of pilgrimage through nineteen sacred sites - from the temples of Jerusalem to the banks of the Ganges, by way of Iona, Lourdes, Amritsar and Buenos Aires - revealing the many ways in which this ancient practice has shaped our religions and our world. Pilgrimages have transformed the fates of cities, anointed dynasties, provided guidance in hard times and driven progress in good. Filled with fascinating insights, Holy Places unveils the complex histories and contemporary endurance of one of our most fundamental human urges.

About the Author

Kathryn Hurlock is Head of the History Research Centre and Reader in Medieval History at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is the author of Britain, Ireland and the Crusades and Medieval Welsh Pilgrimage, among others. She has featured on BBC Breakfast and You're Dead To Me and in the Independent.