Description

About the Author

Jason Roberts is the inaugural winner of the Van Zorn Prize for emerging writers (sponsored by Michael Chabon) and a contributor to the Village Voice, McSweeney's, The Believer, and other publications. He lives in Northern California.

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

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

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

“Roberts is a beautifully assured writer.”
-Seattle Times

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

“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

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

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

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

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

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

“Painstakingly researched. Worth reading.”
-Irish Times

“Enthralling...inspiring A moving, mesmerizing biography.”
-Time magazine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“(A) meticulous recreation of Holman’s world.”
-Miami Herald

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

“Vibrant prose.”
-Washington Post

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