Customer Reviews

A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is one of the best books you could hope to read this year. If you ever think that circumstances could stop you from living a full life, the story of James Holman will have you re-thinking the limits of what can be achieved. In an age in which the blind were institutionalized in insane asylums, Holman managed to travel the globe by himself and on a very limited budget. In the process, he was able to actually experience cultures in a meaningful way, even though he could not see. This book is hard to put down. It is well-written and the tone is not sensational, even though the subject is.In addition to being a great story, I found personal inspiration beyond the scope of many self-help books. I'd give it 6 stars if I could.

It is nothing to meet a round-the-world traveler these days; plenty of people travel globally for business or pleasure. Travel was not, of course, always so easy, and so it is amazing enough that in 1822, James Holman, a former lieutenant of the Royal Navy, set off from England to walk all around the world. His trip took him through Europe, through five thousand miles of Russia and into Siberia. It seems an impossible task for anyone to have tried just for the enjoyment of the journey, but James Holman was exhilarated by traveling, and even his being totally blind could not keep him off his self-appointed odyssey. That a blind man could have accomplished so much travel made him a celebrated figure in his time, but he had been forgotten by the time of his death in 1857, and has had no biographer until Jason Roberts, who writes fiction and nonfiction, came across his story. He has brought back Holman in _A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler_ (HarperCollins), an inspiring story of an almost unbelievably resourceful and irrepressible man who could not be at ease unless he was on the road, and never let his blindness hold him back.

Holman was medically separated from the Royal Navy for rheumatism, which remitted but then he mysteriously lost his vision, completely and forever. At the time, the blind had little hope for independent living. He took a pension, but chafed at any responsibilities that would have kept him in any certain locale. Holman relied acutely on his hearing to get him along in the world he could not see. He used a regular walking stick, not so much as a cane to sweep the path in front of him, but as a device to echolocate; he would make a click with the end of his cane and learn about what was around him. Eventually he even took to riding horses and judging his progress by the echoes from the hooves. He was able to get across Russia, well into Siberia. When he did take a carriage, he tended to run alongside it, tethered by a rope, to keep fit. His plan to cross to Alaska was thwarted by the Czar Alexander, who feared that Holman would report back on how far Russia was pushing into North America. Essentially the Czar had him kidnapped and dumped into Poland. He traveled for the Royal Navy to Fernando Po, an outpost where the British thought they could attack the slave trade. He slipped from there to go through South Africa, South America, India, China, and more.

He was widely known as the "Blind Traveler". His travels and writings gained him membership into the Royal Society, the academy of scientists in Britain. Charles Darwin cited Holman concerning African fauna, and fellow traveler Sir Richard Burton referenced him with admiration. _The Encyclopedia Britannica_ included an extended entry about him. Holman did slow down toward the end, and withdrew to write his memoirs, which he just finished before his death. Perhaps it would have sealed his place in history, but sadly, the receiver of the manuscript did not push for publication, and it has never been found. _The Britannica_ entries shortened and disappeared. Jason Roberts has done Holman a well merited service in bringing him back. Holman's extraordinary life is told here with detail and affection, and will bring astonishment and admiration to any reader.

If you've got this far down the Amazon page, you probably already know that this book is about an English guy who goes blind in the early 1800s, and then he falls ill - and the only thing that seems to heal him is exploring abroad. He doesn't have any money, and there are no conveniences for the blind available whatsoever, but he ends up traveling all over the world. For me, that concept hooked me - how'd a blind guy do that, back then? The only question about this book then was how well Jason Roberts would write. The answer is his writing is better than I ever hoped for. The prose is crisp. It hints of that era, by picking up some words and turns of phrases, but it never overpowers us with an ornate old style. Roberts does not invent scenes or write as if he were somehow a witness to events that nobody recorded - every single detail is sourced to genuine historical documents. This was refreshing. Not slow paced like history books, and yet not "imagined" like many memoirs and biographies. The result is a page turner with credibility. He kept me wondering "how's this blind guy in a bed ever going to become a world traveler?" And then, once he was traveling, I was equally hooked on the question "How come this guy was forgotten by history?" Both hooks pay off. Truly fascinating. I rank it up there with Seabiscuit and Shadow Divers.

Rarely is there a great marriage between an author's writing style and the subject at hand; in this case, the marriage is perfect. Roberts begins with a whopping tale to tell -- of James Holman, an extraordinary (and formerly famous) English traveller, who, for some accident of history, has fallen into obscurity. Roberts resurects Holman with a kind of linguistic grace that we rarely see these days; his gentile style, laced as it is with care and respect and intrigue, beautifully matches James Holman's 19th century life. This book is a keeper -- one that I enjoyed, page after page, and which I look forward to passing on, and on, and on.

This can be a life changing book, in particular for those who think they have a disability, it is well written and very entertaining.

Giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because of a couple "scholarly" quibbles which for most won't matter. The author Jason Roberts had very few sources to draw on so there are large gaps in the level of detail of Holman's life narrative. It's hard to tell what is authentic Holman and what is Roberts interpretation of Holman, in particular when it comes to Holman's motivations and thoughts. A very enthusiastic and sympathetic biography, there is little critical discussion, in fact Roberts seem to take offense to contemporary critics of Holman without examining it through appropriate historical context (such as Locke's then-popular notions that knowledge is gained through sensory input, etc..). Given the lack of primary sources and corresponding lite number of notes and references it is more akin to a feel-good human-interest magazine feature story. The audience is a popular one, Roberts largely avoids using numbers, such as dates (which I found cumbersome to keep track of chronology), and no numbers marking footnotes. No discussion of the English Grand Tour tradition, which is what Holman did on his first trip to Europe - we are led to believe it was just a random trip - even climbing Mt Vesuvius was a standard Grand Tour destination, Holman basically did what everyone else was doing, which by the 1820s was considered blase. No discussion of colonialism and the role travelers played in creating colonial tropes that are still popular to this day; or the sense of national duty English gentleman travelers/explorers had as a part of English colonialism. There is a lot of scholarly material on English travel literature of this period that would have been useful to put Holman into historical context. This is not a definitive biography, or even a critical one, it is a well told story for a popular audience that will hopefully draw more literary critical attention to this fascinating person.

I agree with the previous reviewer that this is up there with SEABISCUIT. I'd also say LONGITUDE or THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN. I bought it because of the TIME magazine review, and it blew me away. Holman's voyages through Siberia, Africa, Tasmania, Europe et all are unceasingly fascinating, and Roberts places his reader right along side. One of those rare books that is both a true story and an absolutely thrilling read. A real find for summer reading, and highly recommended.

Lt. Holman is finally brought into the limelight (at least to some extent) by Jason Roberts' chance discovery of him. Roberts' serendipitous discovery led to this amazing biography of Lt. Holman, who tragically became blind as a young man, yet lived a life far more exciting and interesting than most of us will never know. The stories of how this blind man, suffering other ailments as well, travelled the world over in the 19th century, usually alone, is amazing. He visited parts of the world that are challenging today, such as Siberia, the interior of Brazil, Africa, etc., and only wished to do more travelling. Unfortunately he died in obscurity and was quickly forgotten. Reading this makes you not only feel sorry for his lack of resources and support, but also for how he is not ranked with the other great explorers of the 19th century. It also makes one feel so privileged, yet at the same time so uninspired, unmotivated and boring compared to Lt. Holman.
Roberts writes well. My only problem with the book is the uneven coverage of Holman's journeys, i.e. some are covered with great detail, others barely mentioned. I'm not sure to what extent the records are simply unavailable or not. I'm glad that Roberts' distraction in a library led to this publicity for this hitherto forgotten hero.

Many book reviewers have been known to say that a particular work is one they couldn't put down. This may be one such work. Roberts has done a superb job bringing an essentially unknown to the public's eye. Much can be said about Holman & his travels. In addition to all that, I was attracted to the rabbit trails Roberts included... those little sorties of other information which added to the overall effect of a walk into the past with a man without sight. These brought new levels of understanding on problems or issues few of us would or could imagine. If anything beside praise comes to Roberts for his efforts it may be that someone will come across this book and be encouraged by it... to the extent of not giving up when the going gets tough. Who among us today would even consider attempting something along the lines of what Holman accomplished? Far to many of us are afraid of walking across the street, let alone... trying to cover the globe. Reading this material I was reminded of "Blind Courage," Bill Irwin's 1994 account of his walk, while blind, of the Appalachian Trail in 1990.
Hopefully many readers will find Roberts book and will take the time to stand with a man willing to take a risk.

I bought this because of the rave review in Time magazine, which said "'A Sense of the World' is inspiring--but in the real way, the way most 'inspirational' books aren't."

Even before I finished reading it, I went out and bought four more copies to give away as gifts. This is one of the most fascinating books I've ever read, but it's also more than that. I was entertained, I was moved, and I was filled with a fresh resolve to live my own life to the fullest. This book can change your own sense of the world!

By now you know the story is of James Holman, a naval lieutenant who lost his sight to a mysterious illness in the early 1800s. First he learned how to navigate on his own, then he went to medical school to find a cure for his own condition. He couldn't. But he found the next best thing to a cure in the challenge of solitary travel. The wonderful writing made me care deeply about Holman, even before he went blind. There is another review on this site that says the pre-travel and medical parts aren't interesting, but I found them fascinating and vital to understanding the man's character. When Holman does start traveling, he takes you with him across the world, from Siberia to uncharted Africa to the Australian outback and beyond.

This is a book about what it means to be alive. An absolute MUST read, even if you don't normally read historical books, or nonfiction!

I usually don't read much nonfiction and rarely biography
but this work about the life of James Holman was a totally
engaging and inspiring work. To read of all the obstacles
this man overcame and the life he lived was a true pleasure.
I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the
human condition. The writing is crisp, concise and the historical background is fascinating in and of itself. To reflect on Mr. Holman's voyage through life is a true delight.