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Rollo in Switzerland
The last day that Rollo spent in Paris, before he set out on his journey into Switzerland, he had an opportunity to acquire, by actual experience, some knowledge of the nature of the passport system. Before commencing the narrative of the adventures which he met with, it is necessary to premise that no person can travel among the different states and kingdoms on the continent of Europe without what is called a passport. The idea which prevails among all the governments of the continent is, that the people of each country are the subjects of the sovereign reigning there, and in some sense belong to him.
88 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1854
About the author
Jacob Abbott
1,737 books93 followersAbbott was born at Hallowell, Maine to Jacob and Betsey Abbott. He graduated from Bowdoin College in 1820; studied at Andover Theological Seminary in 1821, 1822, and 1824; was tutor in 1824-1825, and from 1825 to 1829 was professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at Amherst College; was licensed to preach by the Hampshire Association in 1826; founded the Mount Vernon School for Young Ladies in Boston in 1829, and was principal of it in 1829-1833; was pastor of Eliot Congregational Church (which he founded), at Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1834-1835; and was, with his brothers, a founder, and in 1843-1851 a principal of Abbott's Institute, and in 1845-1848 of the Mount Vernon School for Boys, in New York City.
He was a prolific author, writing juvenile fiction, brief histories, biographies, religious books for the general reader, and a few works in popular science. He died in Farmington, Maine, where he had spent part of his time after 1839, and where his brother, Samuel Phillips Abbott, founded the Abbott School.
His Rollo Books, such as Rollo at Work, Rollo at Play, Rollo in Europe, etc., are the best known of his writings, having as their chief characters a representative boy and his associates. In them Abbott did for one or two generations of young American readers a service not unlike that performed earlier, in England and America, by the authors of Evenings at Home, The History of Sandford and Merton, and the The Parent's Assistant.
Fewacres in 1906, Abbott's residence at Farmington, Maine
His brothers, John S.C. Abbott and Gorham Dummer Abbott, were also authors. His sons, Benjamin Vaughan Abbott, Austin Abbott, both eminent lawyers, Lyman Abbott, and Edward Abbott, a clergyman, were also well-known authors.
He was a prolific author, writing juvenile fiction, brief histories, biographies, religious books for the general reader, and a few works in popular science. He died in Farmington, Maine, where he had spent part of his time after 1839, and where his brother, Samuel Phillips Abbott, founded the Abbott School.
His Rollo Books, such as Rollo at Work, Rollo at Play, Rollo in Europe, etc., are the best known of his writings, having as their chief characters a representative boy and his associates. In them Abbott did for one or two generations of young American readers a service not unlike that performed earlier, in England and America, by the authors of Evenings at Home, The History of Sandford and Merton, and the The Parent's Assistant.
Fewacres in 1906, Abbott's residence at Farmington, Maine
His brothers, John S.C. Abbott and Gorham Dummer Abbott, were also authors. His sons, Benjamin Vaughan Abbott, Austin Abbott, both eminent lawyers, Lyman Abbott, and Edward Abbott, a clergyman, were also well-known authors.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
January 19, 2020
"I always get my ticket the first thing, and look at the pretty little dogs afterwards."
Now that we know how to secure passage on a steamer and find our way about Paris, Jacob Abbott trusts us to stamp our own passports, cross a border in a foreign language, and even get from Meyringen to Lucerne using three modes of transportation. I liked Mr. George's mode of child management: let them take full responsibility and fix it the next day if it doesn't work out, which it does of course, because Rollo is a sensible young man with a modest command of French, and Uncle George is setting him reasonable tasks. And he asks the hotel clerk about everything. This is probably good advice for all times.
This book felt as though it was mostly occupied with Rollo and Mr. George's trip on a loop trail near Interlachen with views of the Jungfrau (see Google images). They have a gorgeous walk up, and on the way down they distribute tiny amounts of money to the peasants with their homely Swiss tourist amusements. I liked the alpine horn guy. Then Rollo falls off his horse and almost falls off a mountain, and the chapter ends there. Then we learn about glaciers, which are bloody dangerous. It's interesting that glacial moraines were not understood when this book was written (glaciers pick up debris as they roll, like a snowman). My uncle almost fell off a glacier once. I was very tense while reading of Mr. George and Rollo's guided tour on top of a glacier. I did not know about glacial erratics hanging out on top of glaciers like pillars. I would like to see that.
There is so much description of scenery in this book. Unlike other places, where one sees a specific museum or monument, the joy of Switzerland is in its mountains and valleys and forests and glaciers. That was a thing in Sarah Mlynowski's I See London, I See France, which is also an instructional book on touring Europe for young people, in its way. You are in Switzerland to see the majesty of Switzerland itself. This was probably Rollo's favorite part of Europe, and possibly Jacob Abbott's favorite part of Europe. Who knows what Mr. George's favorite part of Europe is; that man is a closed book.
I enjoyed this one. It didn't blow my mind but it was interesting and I'm glad I'm sticking with this series. Now to find out why Rollo and Uncle George's hijinks on the Rhine come after Rollo in London.
Now that we know how to secure passage on a steamer and find our way about Paris, Jacob Abbott trusts us to stamp our own passports, cross a border in a foreign language, and even get from Meyringen to Lucerne using three modes of transportation. I liked Mr. George's mode of child management: let them take full responsibility and fix it the next day if it doesn't work out, which it does of course, because Rollo is a sensible young man with a modest command of French, and Uncle George is setting him reasonable tasks. And he asks the hotel clerk about everything. This is probably good advice for all times.
This book felt as though it was mostly occupied with Rollo and Mr. George's trip on a loop trail near Interlachen with views of the Jungfrau (see Google images). They have a gorgeous walk up, and on the way down they distribute tiny amounts of money to the peasants with their homely Swiss tourist amusements. I liked the alpine horn guy. Then Rollo falls off his horse and almost falls off a mountain, and the chapter ends there. Then we learn about glaciers, which are bloody dangerous. It's interesting that glacial moraines were not understood when this book was written (glaciers pick up debris as they roll, like a snowman). My uncle almost fell off a glacier once. I was very tense while reading of Mr. George and Rollo's guided tour on top of a glacier. I did not know about glacial erratics hanging out on top of glaciers like pillars. I would like to see that.
There is so much description of scenery in this book. Unlike other places, where one sees a specific museum or monument, the joy of Switzerland is in its mountains and valleys and forests and glaciers. That was a thing in Sarah Mlynowski's I See London, I See France, which is also an instructional book on touring Europe for young people, in its way. You are in Switzerland to see the majesty of Switzerland itself. This was probably Rollo's favorite part of Europe, and possibly Jacob Abbott's favorite part of Europe. Who knows what Mr. George's favorite part of Europe is; that man is a closed book.
I enjoyed this one. It didn't blow my mind but it was interesting and I'm glad I'm sticking with this series. Now to find out why Rollo and Uncle George's hijinks on the Rhine come after Rollo in London.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review