They called him “The Blind Traveler.” But the Empire wasn’t ready for a man who didn’t need sight to conquer the world.
No vision. No fear. No permission. This isn’t just history—it’s a scandal in slow motion.
About This Episode:
James Holman should’ve been a quiet footnote. A blind naval officer left to rot in obscurity. But instead? He became the most well-traveled man of his time—swimming the Mediterranean, climbing volcanoes, crossing Siberia alone, and writing a bestselling four-volume global odyssey.
⏳ Timestamps
00:00 – The Secret that Pulls Them In
01:37 – The Background Lore
03:38 – The Juicy, Scandalous Details
05:13 – The Russian Disaster Trip - The Midnight Shipwreck
07:21 – The Five - Year Global Scandal Tour (1830s)
08:40 – Aftermath, Curses, or the Legend Lives On
10:57 – Theories, Lore & Fun Facts
15:04 – End
This episode unearths the strange, bold, candlelit life of the man Victorian society tried to erase. He wasn’t supposed to survive, let alone thrive—and yet he rewrote every rule about ability, independence, and defiance.
If you love dark folklore, forgotten legends, rebellious wanderers, and weird historical icons, this one’s for you.
📖 References & Citations
📖 Books:
• A Sense of the World by Jason Roberts – [https://a.co/d/0K8LVYd]
• Voyage Round the World by James Holman (1834) – [https://a.co/d/1elhR3l]
🎬 Documentaries & Visuals:
• Victorian Voyagers: Rebels & Romantics – (British Library Collection) [https://www.k-saa.org/blog/the-british-librarys-romantic-and-victorian-collections-online]
🎯 Let’s Talk About It
Was James Holman a visionary… or just wildly unhinged in the best way?
Do you think history ignored him on purpose? Or was he just too damn radical for his time?
🕯️ Drop your theories in the comments below.
🌍 If you stayed for the whole scandal, throw a 🌍 emoji and claim your seat at the midnight history salon.
📌 Hit subscribe for more Sacred & Scandalous stories every other week—because forgotten history was never meant to stay quiet.
