A group of American pilgrims embarks on a cruise to the Holy Land, but their reverence is constantly checked by the narrator's skepticism and wit. The author mocks the "Old Masters" of art, complains about the dirt and beggars, and refuses to be awed by history just because the guidebooks say he should. The book revolutionized travel writing by replacing awe with honest, often grumpy, observation. It is a hilarious clash between New World attitude and Old World tradition.