valparaiso45's review against another edition
3.0
James Holman is a man nearly lost to history. But for the work of author Jason Roberts, the modern world would never know he was one of the greatest travelers in history, who accomplished his feat after losing his sight in his early 20's.
A son of Exeter, England, and without pedigree to speak of, Holman cunningly wrested a destiny for himself in the British Navy at the close of the 18th century, just before the age of steam. A decade into his naval career, having served off the coast of the Americas, his sight failed after an unknown illness. Holman sought and found fraternity with a group of military veterans known as the Knights of Windsor, who were given lifetime room and board at Windsor Castle in exchange for ceremonial duties for the Crown and a life of quiet (read: boring) worship. Holman would not suffer this fate.
Refusing to be defined by his blindness, Holman discovered an appetite for travel while journeying to the south of France to convalesce from his illness. He embraced his wanderlust with gusto while learning to navigate the world using his other senses. He made fast friends wherever he wandered, and found delight in the company of an endless variety of fellow travelers and local characters, often astonishing them with his capacity to move about as if he were fully-sighted.
The book itself is a slow burn, and took me a few cracks to get through, not because the subject was not interesting, but because I found it somewhat difficult to connect Holman's travels to the broader context of what was happening in the world around him. Roberts makes up for it in the last 50 pages by offering some interpretation of Holman's place in the annals of pre-industrial globetrotting. I wish he had done this throughout the book. It would have made Holman's exploits more relatable sooner, and kept my attention better. Notwithstanding, Roberts' interpretation of Holman's story was rewarding enough.
Holman was a good soul. Learning about his influence for good on others, his indomitable spirit, his gratitude for life, his intrepid wanderlust, and his ability to connect with all walks of life was enjoyable. I found his reputation for kindness and curiosity about others most inspiring.
This book is for those who love reading about explorers, personal courage, intrepid souls, and the history of discovery. I found it in a book shop in Orange, California during the summer of 2019. I'm glad I did.
A few favorite quotes and passages:
The beauties of the beautiful
Are veiled before the blind
Not so the graces and the bloom
That blossom in the mind.
The beauties of the finest form
Are sentenced to decay;
Not so the beauties of the mind,
They never fade away.
-James Holman
"Nowhere was Holman greeted with more effusive attention than in the former New Holland, now loosely known as the "australian" colonies of the crown. In Hobart Town, capital of Van Diemen's Land (present-day Tasmania), he was feted, followed, and even imitated..." (
A son of Exeter, England, and without pedigree to speak of, Holman cunningly wrested a destiny for himself in the British Navy at the close of the 18th century, just before the age of steam. A decade into his naval career, having served off the coast of the Americas, his sight failed after an unknown illness. Holman sought and found fraternity with a group of military veterans known as the Knights of Windsor, who were given lifetime room and board at Windsor Castle in exchange for ceremonial duties for the Crown and a life of quiet (read: boring) worship. Holman would not suffer this fate.
Refusing to be defined by his blindness, Holman discovered an appetite for travel while journeying to the south of France to convalesce from his illness. He embraced his wanderlust with gusto while learning to navigate the world using his other senses. He made fast friends wherever he wandered, and found delight in the company of an endless variety of fellow travelers and local characters, often astonishing them with his capacity to move about as if he were fully-sighted.
The book itself is a slow burn, and took me a few cracks to get through, not because the subject was not interesting, but because I found it somewhat difficult to connect Holman's travels to the broader context of what was happening in the world around him. Roberts makes up for it in the last 50 pages by offering some interpretation of Holman's place in the annals of pre-industrial globetrotting. I wish he had done this throughout the book. It would have made Holman's exploits more relatable sooner, and kept my attention better. Notwithstanding, Roberts' interpretation of Holman's story was rewarding enough.
Holman was a good soul. Learning about his influence for good on others, his indomitable spirit, his gratitude for life, his intrepid wanderlust, and his ability to connect with all walks of life was enjoyable. I found his reputation for kindness and curiosity about others most inspiring.
This book is for those who love reading about explorers, personal courage, intrepid souls, and the history of discovery. I found it in a book shop in Orange, California during the summer of 2019. I'm glad I did.
A few favorite quotes and passages:
The beauties of the beautiful
Are veiled before the blind
Not so the graces and the bloom
That blossom in the mind.
The beauties of the finest form
Are sentenced to decay;
Not so the beauties of the mind,
They never fade away.
-James Holman
"Nowhere was Holman greeted with more effusive attention than in the former New Holland, now loosely known as the "australian" colonies of the crown. In Hobart Town, capital of Van Diemen's Land (present-day Tasmania), he was feted, followed, and even imitated..." (
martha_w's review against another edition
5.0
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.
msheftej's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
gobblebook's review against another edition
5.0
A fascinating and well-written account of a blind man who managed to travel literally all over the world, despite living in a society where blindness was considered totally incapacitating. Roberts does a good job of coming to grips with how a blind person experiences the world. The main character, James Holman, seems to have been an incredibly personable and likeable person. This is a quick and light read.
angbeens's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. It was so inspiring. I find it amazing that Holman is not known that well considering all the remarkable achievements of his time. It made me want to read more about James Holman.
tien's review against another edition
3.0
I bought this book many years ago as I found James Holman’s appellation a curiosity, ‘The Blind Traveler’. This biography traced his beginning and what led to his travels but not specifically his travels; only parts of it which are pertinent to a picture of his personage. It also painted the world as it was then and how it affected his circumstances. It has some curious points; blindness could be caused by syphilis (which is something I’m not aware of, previously) and therefore, the blind were usually thought as immoral etc. It was stressed in the book that this was not Holman’s case, however, although the author wished to solved his mysterious cause for blindness, he wasn’t really successful. Whilst he seems to have accomplish many things, they weren’t recognised as such at the time due to his condition. It makes one wonder what he could accomplished were he born in a different time or were he not rendered blind.
ndfarrell's review against another edition
4.0
The story of James Holman, a 19th century blind man turned world traveler. Due to a mysterious (and still unsolved) disease, Holman became blind in his early 20s. Instead of resigning himself to begging or to an asylum (which were pretty much the only options for the blind in those days), he learns to navigate his own way in the world and ends up traveling to hundreds and hundreds of destinations and circumnavigating the world (on foot!), usually by himself. His travels were unprecedented for any man at the time, and especially for a blind man. Holman's view on life and being blind were inspiring - he remains curious, courteous, and upbeat despite the trials and discrimination he is subject to. A great read.
cydelafield's review against another edition
5.0
engrossing and fantastic. history, adventure, science....if you're interested in *anything* you will probably want to read this book.
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