The extraordinary voyages of Pero Tafur throughout the Mediterranean basin from 1435 to 1439 abound with the expectation of discovery. This remarkable narrative derives from a single manuscript in a period before the printing press or the discovery of the New World. Tafur set out on his travels at about twenty-five years of age and made his way from his native Spain to Italy, stopping at Genoa, Rome, and Venice. Making his way around the coast of Greece he came to the Holy Land. Six chapters of his travelogue cover his explorations in the Holy Land and Egypt, from whence he made his way to Constantinople, suffering a near-fatal shipwreck along the way. After journeying through Asia Minor the adventure continues back through Italy and up through what would become Germany, the lowland countries, the Czech Republic and Austria. An introduction gives the sketchy biography of what is known of Tafur before and after his travels.

Malcolm Letts (1882-1957) was an extensive traveler and a recognized authority on Medieval travelers. A solicitor by trade, he wrote critical editions of Medieval texts and served as the president of the Hakluyt Society. He was also elected as a member of the Royal Geographical Society.