A Jayhawker in Europe

In the sweltering summer of 1911, a Kansas man bound for Europe sits down in New York and writes the first of many letters home. He is a Jayhawker by birth and temperament, and he carries with him that particular American gaze: curious, sometimes bewildered, often amused by the ancient ways of a continent still adjusting to the modern age. Through France, England, and beyond, his letters trace the arc of a journey that feels both intimate and expansive, capturing the thrill of standing before cathedrals, the comedy of lost luggage, and the small revelations that come from watching strangers live their daily lives. Morgan writes with a humor that recalls Mark Twain's spirit, puncturing pomposity wherever he finds it, yet never cruelly. What emerges is a portrait of Europe seen through fresh eyes, filtered through the particular sensibilities of the American Midwest. These letters preserve not just the places he visited, but the act of seeing them anew. For readers who love travel writing at its best, or who wonder what the Old World looked like to someone arriving from the Great Plains, this book is a charming time capsule that still feels remarkably alive.