The Path to Rome

By Hilaire Belloc

Book Overview

This edition is entirely re-typeset, includes Belloc's 77 original illustrations, and a new foreword by Belloc biographer Joseph Pearce. It is the best edition available anywhere!

I vowed a vow there to go to Rome on Pilgrimage and see all Europe which the Christian Faith has saved; and I said, "I will walk all the way and take advantage of no wheeled thing...and be present at High Mass in St. Peter's on the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul."

This story of adventurous pilgrimage rambles through the fields of France, the mountains of Switzerland, and the plains of Italy. Belloc's own favorite among his books, The Path to Rome recounts a pilgrimage on foot from the author's birthplace in France to the Eternal City. Along the way he must find shelter, food, and directions. Stopping every few pages for a swig of local wine, his thoughts wander as much as his feet, covering topics as wide ranging as:

Devices for Ending BooksOn Justice in ArmiesThoughts on French Folk-LoreThe Value of BakersThe Tradition of Mankind and Ordinary Living

He also ponders the nature of the soul, declares his theory of blessings, and, when caught in loneliness or despair, cheers himself with stories such as that of the Great Barrel, the story of the Old Sailor, the story of the Devil and the Learned Man, and the story of Mr. Hard (to name a few).

In a travelogue devoid of chapters, Belloc carries his reader along at a breakneck pace, stopping only to rest and argue with his imaginary reader, the "Lector." In these altercations with the Lector, Belloc finds he must defend himself, criticize himself, and make fun of himself-and most everything else-for the sake of his sanity and the health of the world. Long a classic and Belloc's best-known work, Os Justi is proud to offer the world a newly typeset edition, complete with all of Belloc's original illustrations.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1960711385
• ISBN13: 9781960711380
• Release Date: August 2023
• Publisher: Os Justi Press
• Length: 294 Pages
• Weight: 1.29 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Not what I ordered! :(

Not what I ordered. In the picture there was an in good condition hardcover. Description said good. Hardcover. What I received was a falling apart paperback.

It's all about the journey

Belloc shares his adventure of making a pilgrimage to Rome on foot in the early twentieth century (prior to World War I). He was "On the Road" fifty years before Kerouac on a spiritual journey full of faith, wit, beautiful scenery, interesting characters, and personal adventures.

Return to a simpler time

Partly travelogue, partly interior monolog, completely entertaining! The young Belloc describes his walking trip from southeastern France to Rome, which (most intriguingly) he tries to accomplish by walking in a straight line, 30-45 miles a day. This extraordinary route takes him well off the beaten track, through isolated villages, nearly unpassable mountains and rivers, and sparsely populated plains. Belloc describes his experiences with his usual insight and offers humurous digressions on aspects of faith and culture as well. The book also contains a good number of rough landscape sketches he drew during his journey. In the end, Belloc paints a thoroughly detailed and honest picture of the Europe he loved so well and was to write of with such power. In the process he also gives us a detailed picture of his own character and mood, something quite helpful in interpreting his historical works.

Unbeatable Fun

I'd heard about this book for years, but it was out of print and I was not able to locate a copy. I'm happy to report it was worth the wait. It even made me feel young again because it's written with a rare physical energy and youthful exuberance...and humor. In fact, Belloc wrote this in such a fresh and vigorous way he made me laugh out loud 101 years later. As a young man Belloc took off for a personal pilgrimage from Toul, France to Rome, Italy -- and he didn't want to take an easy way. If he had a choice of going around a mountain or over it, he wanted to go over it. It happened more than once that he walked into an inn and told others what he had just done -- only to find they didn't believe him! I wanted to grab his listener by the arm and say, "I know he did it! I was with him!"This book is both a time machine and a vicarious adventure.

A brilliant look at pre-war Europe.

This is surely one of the most delightful reads you will ever find. Belloc is such a good story teller, and, writing from a Catholic viewpoint, paints a picture of Europe before World War 1, before the lights went out for 30 years of constant strife and destruction. Along with various colorful characters along the way, some long forgotten fortresses, and the Italian Alps, Belloc weaves his travels with personal anecdotes and observations. What a book, and it is quite a shame that his journey can not accurately be repeated by another intrepid walker! Enjoy without reservation!

Magnificently erudite journal of a great journey to Rome.

Belloc's wonderful book is not for those who only travel to say they have "been there". For those are the tourists. This delightful book is for those who journey and realize that looking at lighted windows and medieval towns built into ancient crags is what makes life worth living. Written at the turn-of-the-century, Belloc's words flow magically and playfully to form a description not only of one writer's determined passage, but of a time already long gone. Simple pleasures are the best, especially when written by an artist with an eye for life itself.