From 1830 to 1914, journeys to the Mediterranean became part of the British way of life--and the British way of death. The Mediterranean Passion shows how a revolution in transportation enabled the British middle classes to follow the aristocracy to the South in pursuit of culture, health, pleasure, and spiritual inspiration. It carefully describes how the British traveled, where they went, how their attitudes shaped their experiences, and how their experiences shaped their attitudes. Exploring the medical, religious, sexual, and aesthetic dimensions of their journeys, the book also exposes the tension between the world that they discovered and the world that they created.