Josiah Conder, (17 September 1789 – 27 December 1855), correspondent of Robert Southey and well connected to romantic authors of his day, was editor of the British literary magazine The Eclectic Review, the Nonconformist and abolitionist newspaper The Patriot, the author of romantic verses, poetry, and many popular hymns that survive to this day. His most ambitious non-fiction work was the thirty-volume worldwide geographical tome The Modern Traveller; and his best-selling compilation book The Congregational Hymn Book. Conder was a prominent London Congregationalist, an abolitionist, and took an active part in seeking to repeal British anti-Jewish laws. Although Josiah Conder never travelled abroad himself, he compiled all thirty volumes of The Modern Traveller, his non-fiction publishing epic covering the geography of many of countries of the world. It sold well, but was outsold by his Congregational Hymn Book, some 90,000 copies of which were ordered in its first seven years. - Wiki

Compare this work on Mecca & Medina by Condor & other works by arm-chair travelers like Proust to Burton's Mecca/Medina travelogue, which you recently posted. “What other aim can there be except to find a meaning for the white patches on the world’s maps?” - said explorer-traveler Burton. This biography on Burton ( The Collector of the Worlds) reveals much. ( http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/books/review/Macintyre-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 )

Great book by Troyanov. Much recommended. ( http://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/jun/28/saturdayreviewsfeatres.guardianreview30 )