Author Description

Inside this book lies a hidden and incredible history that only a few know about. During the late 1890s, amidst a deep economic depression, hundreds of people embarked on journeys to walk around the world for fame and fortune. They were inspired by Phileas Fogg in Jules Verne’s novel, Around the World in 80 Days. No one has ever before researched and published these unique world-traveling escapades in a book. Thousands of newspaper articles were published as these bold “tramps” made progress for across America and beyond, to Europe, the Middle East, India, Asia, and Australia, for thousands of miles. How many succeeded? For some, it was a legitimate attempt that took several years. But for most, it turned into an astonishingly clever scam, as they traveled on gullible people’s generous contributions. During 1894-1897, at least 300 people became globetrotters on foot, and more that 700 started to tramp around the world before World War II. Crockett pulls together more than 80 adventurous true stories about both the serious walkers and those who eventually became known as cranks, fools, or around-the-world freaks. Prepare yourself to be shocked, amused, and amazed as you read these around the world adventures that took much longer than 80 days.