Chesterton (1874-1936) is arguably one of the finest English writers ever to have lived. This book is essentially a travelogue written in his inimitable style, but it is more than that and could be seen as a eulogy about the fall of the Roman Empire and the culture of the Middle Ages. He talks about Zion and Zionism at some length musing about where Jews might settle (this was written before the establishment of Israel).
