William Martin Leake (1777 1860) was a British military officer and classical scholar specialising in reconstructing the topography of ancient cities. He was a founding member of the Royal Geographical Society and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1815. After his retirement in 1815, he devoted the rest of his life to topographical and classical studies. These volumes, first published in 1835, contain Leake's account of his four extensive journeys across Greece between 1804 and 1810. Using the form of a travelogue, Leake discusses the contemporary Greek and Turkish culture and provides detailed descriptions of ancient archaeological sites and geography. Leake's precise observations and detailed descriptions were influential in shaping the study of classical topography, with these volumes providing valuable information for the ancient sites and contemporary culture of the region."
