Roberts's vibrant prose and meticulous recreation of Holman's world offer modern readers a chance to see what Holman saw as he tapped his way around the globe.
— The Washington Post

In this vibrant biography of James Holman (1786-1857), Roberts, a contributor to the Village Voice and McSweeney's, narrates the life of a 19th-century British naval officer who was mysteriously blinded at 25, but nevertheless became the greatest traveler of his time. Holman entered the navy at age 12, at the height of the Napoleonic Wars. When blindness overcame him, Holman was an accomplished sailor, and he engineered to join the Naval Knights of Windsor, a quirky group who only had to live in quarters near Windsor Castle and attend mass for their stipend. For many blind people at the time, this would have been the start of a long (if safe) march to the grave. Holman would have none of it and spent the bulk of his life arranging leaves of absence from the Knights in order to wander the world (without assistance) from Paris to Canton; study medicine at the University of Edinburgh; hunt slavers off the coast of Africa; get arrested by one of the czar's elite bodyguards in Siberia; and publish several bestselling travel memoirs. Roberts does Holman justice, evoking with grace and wit the tale of this man once lionized as "The Blind Traveler." (June) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

In his first book of narrative nonfiction, freelance writer Roberts (McSweeney's) tells the story of James Holman, who enjoyed a brief period of fame in the early 19th century as the "Blind Traveler." After serving in the British navy during the Napoleonic Wars, he was blinded at age 25 by a mysterious illness. What Holman decided to do with his life after losing his sight was amazing and inspiring: he became a world traveler and author, going as far afield as West Africa, Ceylon, and Siberia; his best-selling books were known to such figures as Charles Darwin and Sir Richard Francis Burton. In time, Holman's fame was eclipsed by the efforts of jealous rivals, who mocked the thought of a blind travel writer. By his death, his works were no longer in print, and he had been largely forgotten by a public who had perhaps only ever seen him as a novelty. Holman's accomplishments deserve Roberts's labor of love, a well-written popular history that will appeal to an audience interested in stories of individuals triumphing over physical difficulties. Recommended for public and academic libraries.-Robert J. Andrews, Duluth P.L., MN Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Adult/High School-An engaging account of a most undeservedly obscure figure. The book itself is a fortuitous happenstance; had a certain volume not caught Roberts's eye during a "wander break" through the stacks on a library visit, the story of Lieutenant James Holman, known to his contemporaries as the Blind Traveler, might still be lost to a modern audience. Born in 1786, Holman began service in the British navy at the age of 12. The rigorous lifestyle ravaged him physically; by age 20, pain had left him nearly incapacitated; five years later, he was blind, ill, and strapped for funds. Holman pursued a course-travel-that proved the best remedy. The Blind Traveler traversed the globe, encountering a plethora of colorful characters and gaining short-lived fame, if not fortune, from his narratives and memoirs. Roberts re-creates each journey, both geographical and physiological, providing insights into 18th-century beliefs, mores, and worldly knowledge, along with a ghastly array of "cures" inflicted on Holman by practitioners of medicine. The admiration and respect that the author feels for his subject are unmistakable, but in no way diminish the accomplishments of "the most restless man in history." Black-and-white reproductions show Holman as he was depicted by contemporaries during his travels. This volume is an obvious addition to any number of booklists, from biographies to "nonfiction that reads like fiction."-Dori DeSpain, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

From newcomer Roberts, the first and very welcome, full-scale biography of a great, early-19th-century world voyager who also happened to be blind. James Holman (1787-1857) was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy when he inexplicably lost his eyesight. He was fortunate to be admitted to England's Naval Knights, a sanctuary at Windsor Castle. With his half-pension from the navy and the small financial benefit of being a knight, he made £84 a year (at a time when a government clerk earned £600). But as Roberts, a smooth, thoughtful writer, so ably chronicles, Holman was not about to let the business of life pass him by. He wanted to travel, even on a shoestring. Though sightless, Holman was a wizard at haptic perception, or touch-based understanding. "Where vision gulps, tactility sips successively over time," observes Roberts. There is no doubt, however, that Holman took great draughts of sensory input, which coalesced into well-honed senses of place. His feet were rheumatic, but they itched. His first journey was a Grand Tour-style circuit of Western Europe, resulting in a well-received book about his adventure. Then it was off to Russia, crossing to Siberia in a cart with a Tartar postilion, shadowed by police, through the "path-swallowing marshlands known as the Baraba Steppe." Next stop was the African island of Fernando Po, where Holman worked to thwart the slave trade. Both of those travels also sold well as narratives. On he fared to Brazil, Zanzibar, New Zealand, Ceylon and the Levant, for three or five or six years, returning with reports of soy sauce, kangaroo-hunting, wall-plastering in the Indian fashion. The extent of his lifetime travels probably amounted to 250,000 miles, writesRoberts, who himself deserves readers' admiration for not only making each step a pleasure to read, but for opening our eyes to so remarkably forgotten an individual. A polished and entertaining account of an astonishing wayfarer. (20 b&w illustrations)

Enthralling...inspiring A moving, mesmerizing biography.” — Time magazine

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

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

“Vibrant prose.” — Washington Post

“Through meticulous research…with intrigue and humor, Roberts brings Holman fully to life.” — Daily News

“Roberts has achieved much. His research is meticulous and…a person lost to history is now rediscovered.” — Denver Rocky Mountain News

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

“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

“Holman’s remarkable life story, coupled with Roberts’ extraordinary gifts as a storyteller, make this a fascinating read.” — Contra Costa Times

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

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

“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)

“(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)

“Paints a convincing and well-researched picture of Holman’s early life…Holman’s first trip, to Russia, is particularly well-drawn.” — The Economist

“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

“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

“Fascinating...rich...I don’t expect to read a better [book] soon.” — Weekend Australian

“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)

Enthralling...inspiring A moving, mesmerizing biography.

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

Enthralling. A masterpiece of biography, travel writing and medical journalism.

Roberts has achieved much. His research is meticulous and…a person lost to history is now rediscovered.

Holman’s remarkable life story, coupled with Roberts’ extraordinary gifts as a storyteller, make this a fascinating read.

Gives us a man who embraced wanderlust at a time when the continents and oceans were much, much bigger.

Vibrant prose.

Through meticulous research…with intrigue and humor, Roberts brings Holman fully to life.

Extraordinary…beautifully produced…Roberts made his hero one for the history books.

Vibrant prose.

An imaginative journey (told with) enviable tact and skill.

Painstakingly researched. Worth reading.

Paints a convincing and well-researched picture of Holman’s early life…Holman’s first trip, to Russia, is particularly well-drawn.

Holman’s life as told in this biography reads like a dare to get out of the house and live!

Jason Roberts should be proud of his achievement in this sensitive and imaginative book.

Roberts’s book is an excellent read.… An author with an enviable ability to tell the tale.

A remarkable job of resurrecting Holman from obscurity, painting a portrait of a complex and compelling persona.

(A) meticulous recreation of Holman’s world.

Fascinating...rich...I don’t expect to read a better [book] soon.

This excellent biography owes much to the wonderful balance the author achieves between detail and evocative description.

(a) talented and committed writer.

Roberts is a beautifully assured writer.

A tribute to an inspiring figure who, despite his blindness, was a far-sighted traveller.

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

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

(A) meticulous recreation of Holman’s world.

Roberts’s book is an excellent read.… An author with an enviable ability to tell the tale.

"This excellent biography owes much to the wonderful balance the author achieves between detail and evocative description."

"Holman’s life as told in this biography reads like a dare to get out of the house and live!"

"Jason Roberts should be proud of his achievement in this sensitive and imaginative book."

"Enthralling...inspiring A moving, mesmerizing biography."

James Holman, a lieutenant in the 1812 British navy, loses his sight at age 25 and teaches himself independence from his acquired disability. Using artful expression and Dickensian prose, Jason Roberts manages to make Holman's worldly travels sound like a Victorian novel, including elaborate descriptions of all the minor personae in the blind man's milieu. Narrator John Curless speaks the upper-class English of the sightless officer with duty to each word. Using the measured elocution of a language teacher, but without any unwelcome exaggeration, his resonating voice quickens the author's characters into people we can experience as though we had known them. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine