In Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales (1386), twenty-nine pilgrims journey to Canterbury to visit the Shrine of Saint Thomas Becket. They represent a cross-section of social classes in England during the fourteenth century: a knight, members of the clergy, merchants, landowners, and others.

Only the high nobility and serfs are missing. On the journey they entertain each other with stories that give a realistic picture of what life was like during this historical period.

John Child's The Rise of Islam (1995) includes pictures and information about the beliefs and customs of Muslims, including the history of the Crusades.

Paulo Coelho's memoir of his pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Pilgrimage: A Contemporary Quest for Ancient Wisdom (1995), was a best-seller.

Neil Curry's Walking to Santiago (1992) is a book of poetry inspired by the author's observations during his pilgrimage. "Skull" is the most dramatic piece. Curry also wrote Dangerous Journey (1994), an...