The Path to Rome

Hilaire Belloc walked roughly 250 leagues from his native Toul, Lorraine to Rome in twenty-two days, fulfilling a vow and arriving for Mass on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. This, his first travel narrative, weaves the trek together with reflections on writing technique, military service, Catholic spirituality, social class, literature, and music. The book was a commercial success and G. K. Chesterton praised it as the product of a rich intellect.