On November 13, 1850, this man was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is best known for his adventure and suspense novels, three of which are regarded as literary classics. He was also an acclaimed essayist, a popular childrens author, and one of literary historys most influential travel writers. These days, most travel books are nothing special, but this man was so gifted he produced travel books that were genuine works of literature. For example, in Across the Plains (1897), an account of his journey across America on the transcontinental railroad, he was halfway through the trip to San Francisco when he was awed by the view from his window. He described it this way: We were at sea --there is no other adequate expression -- on the plains of Nebraska. Struck by the sight of acre upon acre of wheat fields rolling gently with the wind, he got up from his seat in the passenger compartment and made his way to the top of a railroad car loaded with fruit. From this vantage point, he wrote: It was a world almost without a feature; an empty sky, an empty earth; front and back, the line of railway stretched from horizon to horizon, like a cue across a billiard-board; on either hand, the green plain ran till it touched the skirts of heaven. The description continues in a masterful way. I wont present the remainder here, but you may view it by going to: goo.gl/9BEXxE In his first published travel book, An Inland Voyage (1878), he offered yet another observation that I have long loved: The most beautiful adventures are not those we go to seek. Who is this man? And what were the titles of his three classic literary works?
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 12:02:05 +0000
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