A Sense of the World - by Jason Roberts (Paperback)

About the Book

From the Back Cover

He was known simply as the Blind Traveler. A solitary, sightless adventurer, James Holman (1786-1857) fought the slave trade in Africa, survived a frozen captivity in Siberia, hunted rogue elephants in Ceylon, helped chart the Australian outback--and, astonishingly, circumnavigated the globe, becoming one of the greatest wonders of the world he so sagaciously explored. A Sense of the World is a spellbinding and moving rediscovery of one of history's most epic lives--a story to awaken our own senses of awe and wonder.

Review Quotes

"Holman's life as told in this biography reads like a dare to get out of the house and live!" - NPR's Holiday Book Roundup

"Paints a convincing and well-researched picture of Holman's early life...Holman's first trip, to Russia, is particularly well-drawn." - The Economist

"Painstakingly researched. Worth reading." - Irish Times

"This excellent biography owes much to the wonderful balance the author achieves between detail and evocative description." - ABC Magazine (UK)

"Fascinating...rich...I don't expect to read a better [book] soon." - Weekend Australian

"(a) talented and committed writer." - Raleigh News & Observer

"This warm-hearted and sensitive account should give Holman his due: a place in the pantheon of great travelers." - The Guardian

"A tribute to an inspiring figure who, despite his blindness, was a far-sighted traveller." - Bath Chronicle (UK)

"Enthralling...inspiring A moving, mesmerizing biography." - Time magazine

"Roberts's book is an excellent read.... An author with an enviable ability to tell the tale. - The Spectator

"(A) meticulous recreation of Holman's world." - Miami Herald

"Roberts is a beautifully assured writer." - Seattle Times

"An imaginative journey (told with) enviable tact and skill." - Daily Telegraph (London)

"Vibrant prose." - Washington Post

"Roberts has achieved much. His research is meticulous and...a person lost to history is now rediscovered." - Denver Rocky Mountain News

"A remarkable job of resurrecting Holman from obscurity, painting a portrait of a complex and compelling persona." - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Jason Roberts should be proud of his achievement in this sensitive and imaginative book." - Times Literary Supplement (London)

"Roberts wisely tells this extraordinary story without embellishment. The tale will fill you with wonder. In a word: remarkable." - Melbourne Herald Sun

"Gives us a man who embraced wanderlust at a time when the continents and oceans were much, much bigger." - New York Times

"Enthralling. A masterpiece of biography, travel writing and medical journalism." - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Extraordinary...beautifully produced...Roberts made his hero one for the history books." - Buffalo News

"Astounding. That James Holman managed to perceive so much of his world is a triumph only slightly grander than that of Jason Roberts, two centuries later, recreating that world so vividly, accurately, and compellingly that you feel that you are not reading a life, but seeing it." - Mary Roach, Stiff and Spook

"Enthralling...inspiring A moving, mesmerizing biography. . . . He, and readers everywhere, owes Roberts thanks for leading him back into the light." - Time

"A well-written popular history that will appeal to an audience interested in stories of individuals triumphing over physical difficulties." - Library Journal

"Holman's remarkable life story, coupled with Roberts' extraordinary gifts as a storyteller, make this a fascinating read." - Contra Costa Times

"An admirable work, testament to the determination, resourcefulness, and skill of not only its subject, but also its author." - Boston Globe

"Through meticulous research...with intrigue and humor, Roberts brings Holman fully to life." - Daily News

"Vibrant...evok(es) with grace and wit the tale of this man once lionized as "The Blind Traveler." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)