My friend Sandra recommended to me Jason Roberts'
A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler. I would not have selected this book on my own, dubious that a blind man could be a great travel writer. How wrong I was! Only her enthusiasm motivated me to read it - another reminder that the best book recommendations are those of trusted friends.
Englishman James Holman (1786-1857) was an extraordinary man. After joining the British Royal Navy he traveled to North America. For the remainder of his life he was never more happy and healthier than when traveling.
In his mid-twenties tragedy struck; Holman went blind, but physical disability could not suppress his indefatigable spirit. He studied medicine and literature at the University of Edinburgh, committing large bodies of materials to his capacious memory. He obtained a machine invented for the British army that permitted soldiers on missions to write in complete darkness, a device that would prove indispensable as his writing gifts flourished.
Holman set off to explore the world. By his death he was the most traveled man in the history of the world, visiting every inhabited continent. He preferred to travel alone. He never had much money, but always found a way to stretch his limited funds and keep on moving. He walked, became a skilled horsemen, and accepted rides in coaches, ships and wagons, often in the companionship of people who did not speak English. Yet he learned to communicate and became extraordinarily sensitive to the descriptions, sounds, and smells of the places he visited. His published travel narratives are a stunning literary achievement.
Few of us would dare to travel to Siberia in winter by plane, train, or car. And if we were blind, none of us would make this our preferred travel destination. Holman made the trip by wagon across the bone-jarring, icy roads. He fought hard to guard his hands against frostbite; the loss of touch would be a second blindness.
Without sight his other senses became quite acute. For example, while riding on horseback in Africa he commented on the beauty of the coconut trees. His companions looked in vain to see them - until they traveled round the bend in the road and there was the grove Holman smelled!
When the British were trying to establish a post off the coast of what is now Equatorial Guinea, the captain of the British ship used Holman to establish a relationship with the area's tribal chieftain. At first they did not share a single word in common, but Holman learned to communicate, and came to understand the structure and values of the tribe. He proved himself an indispensable adviser to the captain.
Long before the benefits of regular exercise were taken for granted, Holman would take a rope, tie it to a stage coach or wagon, and run behind it.
When Holman sensed his death was imminent, he sat down and wrote his autobiography. He finished his work one week prior to his death. Sadly, his last manuscript is lost - probably forever.
Winston Churchill once urged a group of schoolboys: "Never, never, never give up." The Blind Traveler never did. Overcoming seemingly insuperable obstacles, he saw the world with his feet, and wrote about what he saw. He took his place among those 19th century explorers and adventurers who helped western nations obtain a better understanding of the world, and did so with a courage and endurance that will never cease to inspire.
My friend Sandra recommended to me Jason Roberts' A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler. I would not have selected this book on my own, dubious that a blind man could be a great travel writer. How wrong I was! Only her enthusiasm motivated me to read it - another reminder that the best book recommendations are those of trusted friends.
Englishman James Holman (1786-1857) was an extraordinary man. After joining the British Royal Navy he traveled to North America. For the remainder of his life he was never more happy and healthier than when traveling.
In his mid-twenties tragedy struck; Holman went blind, but physical disability could not suppress his indefatigable spirit. He studied medicine and literature at the University of Edinburgh, committing large bodies of materials to his capacious memory. He obtained a machine invented for the British army that permitted soldiers on missions to write in complete darkness, a device that would prove indispensable as his writing gifts flourished.
Holman set off to explore the world. By his death he was the most traveled man in the history of the world, visiting every inhabited continent. He preferred to travel alone. He never had much money, but always found a way to stretch his limited funds and keep on moving. He walked, became a skilled horsemen, and accepted rides in coaches, ships and wagons, often in the companionship of people who did not speak English. Yet he learned to communicate and became extraordinarily sensitive to the descriptions, sounds, and smells of the places he visited. His published travel narratives are a stunning literary achievement.
Few of us would dare to travel to Siberia in winter by plane, train, or car. And if we were blind, none of us would make this our preferred travel destination. Holman made the trip by wagon across the bone-jarring, icy roads. He fought hard to guard his hands against frostbite; the loss of touch would be a second blindness.
Without sight his other senses became quite acute. For example, while riding on horseback in Africa he commented on the beauty of the coconut trees. His companions looked in vain to see them - until they traveled round the bend in the road and there was the grove Holman smelled!
When the British were trying to establish a post off the coast of what is now Equatorial Guinea, the captain of the British ship used Holman to establish a relationship with the area's tribal chieftain. At first they did not share a single word in common, but Holman learned to communicate, and came to understand the structure and values of the tribe. He proved himself an indispensable adviser to the captain.
Long before the benefits of regular exercise were taken for granted, Holman would take a rope, tie it to a stage coach or wagon, and run behind it.
When Holman sensed his death was imminent, he sat down and wrote his autobiography. He finished his work one week prior to his death. Sadly, his last manuscript is lost - probably forever.
Winston Churchill once urged a group of schoolboys: "Never, never, never give up." The Blind Traveler never did. Overcoming seemingly insuperable obstacles, he saw the world with his feet, and wrote about what he saw. He took his place among those 19th century explorers and adventurers who helped western nations obtain a better understanding of the world, and did so with a courage and endurance that will never cease to inspire.
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