Laurence Oliphant

Born in Cape Town on August 3, 1829, Laurence Oliphant grew up in a family tied to the British Empire and spent much of his early life on the move. That unsettled beginning suited him: he became a traveler, diplomat, journalist, and eventually a prolific writer whose firsthand experiences gave his work an unusual range.

Oliphant wrote travel books shaped by journeys through places including Russia, Japan, and the Middle East, and he also served briefly as a Member of Parliament. His best-known book during his lifetime was Piccadilly (1870), a satirical novel, but his nonfiction and correspondence also drew attention because they came from a man who seemed always to be in the middle of international events.

Later in life, his interests turned more intensely toward mysticism and religious questions. He is also remembered for advocating Jewish agricultural settlement in Palestine, an idea he set out in The Land of Gilead. He died in Twickenham, England, on December 23, 1888, leaving behind a career that mixed politics, travel, belief, and literature in a distinctly adventurous way.