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

I found this book by accident. I read a mental floss article about James Holman and became intrigued. I tried to find out more information about this man's life, and this book was one of the few sources I could find. I ordered the paperback on Amazon and started reading it as soon as it arrived.I was surprised that this book was published in 2006, 17 years ago, but this is probably the most recent source that exists.I'm not a big nonfiction reader, but it didn't take long for me to become invested in this book. James Holman lived a remarkable life and gave new meaning to living one's life to the fullest. He refused to allow his disability to hold him back but allowed his disability to give him an entirely new meaning and purpose.It's disappointing that his life isn't more celebrated than it is. I certainly never learned about him in school. I do believe ableism during that time period and even today played a role in people forgetting about his life and remarkable accomplishments.However, I hope we continue to learn from Holman and others like him from history. Representation is very important, and Holman's life is an incredible example.Additionally, I enjoyed getting a peek at other cultures during this period. I loved how Holman engaged with people who didn't speak his language.

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.

One of the reviewers, giving the book only 4 stars, felt that Mr. Roberts went into too limited detail about the travels of James Holman, The Blind Traveller.. But, consider. James Holman went around the world, travelled incessantly, visited over 400 major destinations. In his later, more debilitated years, he (only) travelled all through Northern Europe to complete his travels through all countries of Europe. Yet we have glimpses into a few of these trips only. The author dwelled with details on a fascinating episode on an obscure island off the coast of Africa, Fernando Po, a lurching ride through Siberia on a buckboard with a Tartar who spoke a different language, and a harrowing trip through Brazil. Had Mr. Roberts spent his descriptions equally on Holman's other travels the book would have been thousands of pages long. I, too, want to know more. And, I might purchase Holman's own book; I think it's called A Trip Around the World.Besides, rather than writing a proto National Geographic, the author was driven to understand the individual himself, James Holman. I am glad that the author shared his research about the life of Mr. Holman in other respects as well: His life before blindness, his acquaintances, his difficulties with the Naval Knights and British Society in general, and his gentle spirit. It was a biography, as it put a face on this incredible individual. James Holman is one of the most likeable, astoundingly adventurous individuals I "know". Bravo.I particularly liked the way the author graciously allowed that all of us are travellers, though NO ONE has or had the ganas of Mr. Holman!I had hoped that it would motivate me to see a bit more of my own world. Time will tell.

It would be difficult today with all the modern conveniences that technology provides, but it was much much harder to do two hundred years ago. Yet James Holman did it. After blindness interrupted his naval career at age 24, he started a new life as a world traveler and became a well know writer and highly paid of his adventures. In this, I am sort of envious of him, though in the end he ran out of money and readers and died a lonely man, his funds having dwindled and his fame all but vanished.In my view the main point of the book is that Holman sang an hymn to curiosity for the world which I find admirable for anyone, all the more so for a blind person. Whereas others might have been discouraged and would have given up after disease cut short one career, he had the energy to pick himself up and start again on a completely new path. A path more challenging than the Napoleonic wars he had been fighting at sea.Then book may have some holes in the facts here and there, but that does not distract from the main aim, which is to convey an extraordinary life through a high readable prose that makes it hard to put down.

The best adventure book I've read. It's been years, and I keep thinking about it. I just wish he'd titled it The Blind Traveller.

Anyone from Exeter, or anyone interested in history (especially naval history), travel, sight problems or just interesting people should read this book.

I repaired the item and seems to be all good.