The Pages of A Passport Have Stories to Tell

Passports promise adventure. They verify who you are and where you’ve been. Sometimes they can protect you. Sometimes they cannot. The first passport dates back to Biblical times, and the modern passport as we know it is an invention of the early 20th century. At its core the passport is a request for safe passage, and as author Patrick Bixby notes, “these little books have the capacity to tell stories like few other documents.” In his new book, “License to Travel,” Bixby explores the cultural history of passports and how they have helped define the boundaries of the modern world. We’ll talk to Bixby and other travel writers about passports, what they represent, and the talismanic-like power they hold. What does your passport mean to you?