License to Travel: A Cultural History of the Passport

The passport has shaped art, thought, and human experience and is a powerful tool of government surveillance. Patrick Bixby's "License to Travel" explores the passport's global history, from pharaonic Egypt to Han-dynasty China, and its impact on identity, mobility, citizenship, and state authority.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 05 September 2023
Publisher: University of California Press

This captivating global history of an indispensable document delves into the profound ways in which the passport has shaped art, thought, and human experience, while also contributing to the definition of the modern world. In License to Travel, author Patrick Bixby takes readers on a journey spanning from ancient Egypt and Han-dynasty China to the contemporary passport controls and crowded refugee camps. Throughout this enlightening expedition, readers will:

Explore a treasure trove of passports belonging to artists, intellectuals, writers, musicians, ancient messengers, and modern migrants.

Discover how these seemingly humble documents intertwine us with broader narratives concerning identity, mobility, citizenship, and state authority.

Embark on an intimate exploration of vulnerability and desire, alongside vivid examples drawn from world cinema, literature, art, philosophy, and politics.

Observe the immense power that travel documents wield over our movements and emotions as we navigate the globe.

With surprising revelations at every turn, License to Travel unveils the passport as a multifaceted instrument, simultaneously promoting personal freedom and serving as a powerful tool of government surveillance capable of defining our very humanity.

Weight: 296g
Dimension: 140 x 210 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520397897