author
J. W. (John Whetham) Boddam-Whetham
1843–1918
A Victorian traveler with a taste for far-off places, he turned journeys through Central America, Polynesia, and South America into lively books for readers back home. He was also a naturalist and sportsman, bringing an observant eye to the landscapes and people he wrote about.
1 Audiobook
Roraima and British Guiana, With a Glance at Bermuda, the West Indies, and the Spanish Main
by J. W. (John Whetham) Boddam-Whetham
About the author
Born on 25 May 1843 and died on 23 March 1918, John Whetham Boddam-Whetham was an English travel writer, naturalist, and traveler. He is best remembered for books that grew out of his journeys in the 1870s, including Pearls of the Pacific, Across Central America, Roraima and British Guiana, and Western Wanderings.
His writing came from firsthand experience and reflects the wide-ranging curiosity of a nineteenth-century explorer. Alongside his literary work, he is also noted in historical records as a first-class cricketer, which adds to the picture of a well-connected Victorian gentleman whose interests stretched from sport to science to travel.
Today, he is mainly of interest to readers of classic travel literature. His books offer snapshots of places that were still unfamiliar to many British readers of his time, and they remain valuable for anyone curious about how the wider world was described in late nineteenth-century nonfiction.