This humorous travel narrative follows a group of American tourists on a "Great Pleasure Excursion" to Europe and the Holy Land aboard a retired Civil War vessel. The author pokes fun at the reverence for Old World history, contrasting the romantic expectations of the travelers with the gritty reality they encounter. It challenges the standard reverential travelogues of the time, offering a fresh and irreverent perspective on the Grand Tour. The book established the author's reputation as a premier humorist.