A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler (P.S.)
by Jason Roberts (Goodreads author!)
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 221)
Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone interested in historical travel.
A chance encounter in a library led the author to discover James Holman (1786–1857). Son of a shopkeeper, James rises to lieutenant in the British Navy right around the War of 1812. He is forced out of the Navy due to medical issues (blindness as well as rheumatic arthritis) and although nearly penniless, finds he is in the best of health when travelling in exotic countries and climes. ... alone.
Holman's charm and cunning nets him excursions to the Americas, Africa and the Orient - hunting...more
Holman's charm and cunning nets him excursions to the Americas, Africa and the Orient - hunting...more
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
everyone
An amazing biography on a little-known historical figure, John Holman. I think this blurb describes it best:
"He was known simply as the Blind Traveler, a solitary, sightless adventurer who fought the slave trade in Africa, survived a frozen captivity in Siberia, hunted rogue elephants in Ceylon and helped chart the Australian outback. Once a celebrity, a bestselling author and inspiration to Charles Darwin and Sir Richard Francis Burton, the charismatic, witty Holman outlived his fame, ...more
"He was known simply as the Blind Traveler, a solitary, sightless adventurer who fought the slave trade in Africa, survived a frozen captivity in Siberia, hunted rogue elephants in Ceylon and helped chart the Australian outback. Once a celebrity, a bestselling author and inspiration to Charles Darwin and Sir Richard Francis Burton, the charismatic, witty Holman outlived his fame, ...more
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
those interested in the early 1800s and triumphant blind people.
This book started out excited and interesting. The theme is a blind traveller who was publishing stories he wrote from a "noctograph," which allows the blind to write (there is a picture in the book). The book is full of interesting period information and tidbits about the life of this blind noble English traveller (he runs alongside his carriage on a daily basis for exercise. Unfortunately, the author's writing style is flowery and overblown. He chooses to write in a faux period ...more
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Read in January, 2008
The amazing true story of James Holman, an early 19th-century British adventurer who joined the Royal Navy at age 12, was beset with crippling pain at age 20, and lost his sight at age 25. Rather than live out his days as an invalid, Holman chose to embark on a lifetime of travel. Traveling more than a quarter of a million miles, largely on foot or horseback, he explored five continents and encountered 200 different cultures. He explored the far reaches of Siberia where he was kidnapped by the...more
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James Holman (who the story is about) is absolutely amazing! While the writing occassionally dragged a little (but not often), the story of Holman wrote itself. He went completely blind as a young man due to a mysterious ailment. Instead of being the proper convalescent (which was the route expected of him in the early 1800's), he traveled by the cheapest means possible across the entire world. All his life, he had a restless and curious spirit, which he indulged until nearly his last breath...more
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Read in June, 2007
recommends it for:
lost history buffs
I FLEW through this book -- partly because I read it the last weekend before 2nd year of teaching ended, and was STARVED for pleasure reading. But also because the story is fascinating. Imagine a cross between an Oliver Sacks patient and Patrick O'Brien's Master & Commander, and you've got James Holman - aka The Blind Traveler. This guy went blind at age 25, and yet still managed to travel independently and 'see' the world (though he is quoted as having said "I see better with my fee...more
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Read in May, 2008
James Holman's story is so worth reading. His life was very inspiring. One really important thing I learned is a little more accuracy about the capabilities of blind people. The author has a section in which he says something along the lines of "when a sighted person imagines losing her sight, she feels an overwhelming sense of panic and fear, and so assumes that blind people live constantly in that state." But in fact, the author uses Holman's own words and experiences to illustrate t...more
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Read in February, 2007
Great Book. About one of the most amazing people of the 19th century who was forgotten from public memory until now. This Man James Holman - travelled around the world, clocked around half a million miles before the advent of steam ships and visited over 300 cultures - blind, alone with frugal income. Referenced by Charles Darwin in his writings, member of the Royal Society.. this man is one to know about. Narration is quite decent for a first time author spending over 3-4 years to research and ...more
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Read in January, 2007
James Holman (1786-1857) was the most famous traveler of his age. Known as "The Blind Traveler" he visited Mt. Vesuvius (when it was erupting) hunted slave ships off the coast of Africa, enjoyed Paris, was expelled from Siberia by the Czar... and wrote best sellers about it all. What I loved was Holman's character. He had a way of making new acquaintences feel like old friends and it was his charm, (plus a small stipend earned from his service in the British Navy before he went blin...more
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We've all gone soft. This was my primary thought after finishing this book about a blind man who somehow navigates around the globe on horse carriages and ships, sometimes with but often without a companion. Obviously at the time there were no accomodations made for the handicapped, and the way he worked around his disability are remarkable. The downside to this book, although it is carefully researched, is that there was not a great deal of primary material to go on so some of it is either a bi...more
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This book is great. A true story of James Holman's life and travel in the late 1700's and early 1800's. He was blind and he circumnavigated the world in 1832. Impoverished and in bad health he traveled to the boundaries of the known world and further. An interesting section about Holman's participation in Britain's attempt to stop slave trade to the US. Britian sent British naval ships to intercept the slave ships off the coast of Africa and return the people to their homes. Their attempt was no...more
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Fun book. Amazing man. Not only a diplomatic traveler but one who seeks to really learn a culture and understand it-also, he was completely blind. It made for an interesting dissection of blindness for me on top of fun British Empire/World History. The author includes folks that crossed paths with Holman in some detail as well as "what it looks like now" info on his stomping grounds and advances of the blind today which I enjoyed on top of Holman's amazing story.
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One of the world's greatest adventure stories, all the more amazing and inspiring to know it was the accomplishments of a blind man. Through incredible historical research and a brilliant narrative writing style, Roberts recreates the world of The Blind Traveler, with its heightened sensations, emotions and daring misadventures. You will want to follow in his footsteps and experience the world as he did.
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A blind and sickly lieutenant with little future prospects ends up one of England’s most celebrated travelers yet dies in near obscurity. A well researched, funny read about the prejudices, politics and misinformation of his day (the cure-all for ailing ‘humors’). Not a lot of insight into Holman the character, and the day to day of his adventures.
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Read in December, 2007
this book seems to give a good picture about the following things i have never experienced:
1. being blind
2. living in the 19th century
3. being in the british navy
4. the nature of world travel before there was a world tourism industy
5. the nature of the medical profession in england in the 19th century
1. being blind
2. living in the 19th century
3. being in the british navy
4. the nature of world travel before there was a world tourism industy
5. the nature of the medical profession in england in the 19th century
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Read in January, 2008
This was an excellent, entertaining biography of James Holman. Holman was completely blind from the age of 25, but traveled the world by himself for most of his life at a time when blind people were more often put in an institution. It is written in a narrative style, so it is an easy and engaging read. I highly recommend it.
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
Those who want to say Wow- and like history.
Holman's obsession for travel left a trail of admirers who wrote about him all over the world, leaving a trail the author could follow, despite the passage of time since the 1700s. The research brings an era alive. Beautifully written, gripping storytelling and historically informative.
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Read in July, 2008
This was a wonderful biography. Holden was such an interesting and inspiring character, I was sad when he died and was lost to history--even though the author said that was going to happen in the beginning. I highly recommend this book.
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Read in February, 2007
The greatest traveler of the world of the 19th century was a blind man. The story sounds a lot more interesting than it really is. The book is meticulously researched and well written. Doesn't matter - still boring.
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Inspiring: In an age before airborne travel a blind man travels all over the world. Roberts goes into great detail fleshing out the historical circumstances of Holman's travels. Cultural, medical, naval histories.
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