author
Philip Thicknesse
1719–1792
Best known as a sharp-tongued traveler and memoirist, this 18th-century British officer turned his adventures, quarrels, and opinions into lively books. His writing offers a vivid, sometimes prickly window onto Georgian Britain and Europe.
2 Audiobooks
A Year's Journey through France and Part of Spain, Volume 1 (1777)
by Philip Thicknesse
A Year's Journey through France and Part of Spain, Volume 2 (1777)
by Philip Thicknesse
About the author
Born in 1719, Philip Thicknesse was a British Army officer who later became known as a writer, especially for travel books and memoir-like works. He served in the army and was associated with Landguard Fort, but he is remembered most for the energetic, opinionated voice that runs through his published work.
Thicknesse wrote several travel guides, including A Year's Journey through France and Part of Spain. His books mixed observation with personal judgment, which helped make them memorable. He also had a notable friendship with the painter Thomas Gainsborough and is often mentioned in connection with Gainsborough's early life and reputation.
He died on November 23, 1792. Today, he remains an interesting figure for readers who enjoy 18th-century travel writing, literary gossip, and firsthand accounts shaped by a very strong personality.