Jason Roberts (1)

Fourth-born Britain James Holman was destined for the clergy. Instead, he got bit by the travel bug. Like any decent explorer, James Holman bucked authority. After inexplicably going blind at the age of 25 he refused to stand still. When doctors wanted him to languish in the warmer climates of the Mediterranean for his health, Holman instead ignored their advice and set out for France by himself. Naturally Holman didn't stop there. He joined the Navy to continue his travels through far show more reaching places such as Siberia and Africa.
Despite Holman's remarkable ability to perceive the world as though sighted he was mostly viewed as a novelty and when he passed away his fifteen minutes of fame were quickly up. Roberts decided to resurrect Holman's biography because he simply couldn't believe the world had forgotten about this remarkable, yet blind, traveler. He best describes Holman as such, "Alone, sightless, with no prior command of native languages and with only a wisp of fund, he had forged a path equivalent to wandering to the moon" (p 320). Pretty remarkable. show less

Crafted as compare-and-contrast of Linnaeas and Buffon, the book actually delivers much more about the changing understanding of species, adaption,and evolution.
Linnaeas is set up as the fall-guy. Bright, but not too bright, a shameless self-promoter and vindicative to those that challenge - the characterisation might be blunt, and a little biased, but its easy to dislike an unlikable figure,
Buffon is deeper, smarter and more right. But it is Linnaeas who is remembered for the binomial show more naming system. There is much he got wrong, but . . . show less

An extraordinary story about a blind man who circumnavigated the globe in the early half of the nineteenth century, this book argues against the notion that blindness is a disability. James Holman, known as the Blind Traveler, traveled alone to Siberia, and then eventually around the world on a series of ships, traversing parts of South America, Australia and Africa on horseback. He made this possible, in large part, by being an affable, outgoing individual of tremendous courage. The author, show more who used only what he could find in the written record, eschewing any made-up dialogue, has given us a full portrait of the man, his blindness and adaptation to it, and the social history of the period. An utterly involving read and one I highly recommend. show less

An interesting man who went from being a naval lieutenant who suffered from joint pain then became blind and traveled the world alone. Fascinating! And this all takes place from 1787-1857. James Holman was an apothecary/shop owner's son who was destined to follow in his father's footsteps when family fortunes changed. He goes to the Navy at 12 and expects to be there for the rest of his life but his health turns bad and he must retire on half-salary. He becomes a Naval Knight of Windsor to show more retain his half-salary. He absents himself a lot from his duties as he travels the world. What is does and how he learns his way around with short funds and limited language skills is remarkable.

I loved that the history of the time is explained and that what is happening in the countries he explores is also given. That he often is on naval vessels and helps is remarkable. I also enjoyed seeing the societal downsides of his times. He is a remarkable man. I am glad the bookseller recommended it as I was checking out. Excellent read! show less