Words of Mercury

The travels and writings of Britain's legendary Patrick Leigh Fermor

Patrick Leigh Fermor was only 18 years old when he set off to walk from the Hook of Holland to Constantinople. It was during these early wanderings that he started to pick up languages, and where he developed his extraordinary sense of the continuity of history. Whether he is drawing portraits in Vienna or sketching Byron's slippers in Missolonghi, his touch in unmistakable. Its infectious enthusiasm is driven by an insatiable curiosity and an omnivorous mind—all inspired by a passion for words and language.

Patrick Leigh Fermor was a British author, scholar, and soldier. He was widely regarded as one of Britain's greatest travel writers. His other books include classic, A Time of Gifts.