The Traveler

Step into the life and times of George Forster, the young naturalist and revolutionary who journeyed to the far reaches of the known world and whose radical ideas about humanity and freedom made waves in eighteenth-century Europe—from the bestselling author of The Invention of Nature.

"George Forster, a celebrity intellectual in his day, was a man far ahead of his time. In this thrilling biography-cum-adventure story, Andrea Wulf deftly shows us how Forster’s far-flung wanderings inspired and nurtured one of the greatest minds of the Enlightenment era." —Hampton Sides, New York Times bestselling author of The Wide Wide Sea

From an early age, it was clear that George Forster possessed a brilliant mind. At just ten years old, he became a botanist when he accompanied his irascible father, Reinhold, on a wild expedition to Russia. By the time he was twelve, they had moved to London and the young boy soon became the breadwinner by publishing translations of the most popular travel accounts of the day. Then, in 1772, at the age of seventeen, George Forster joined Cook’s second voyage, the most daring expedition of the time.

The HMS Resolution set sail with orders to find what was then the hypothetical southern continent of Antarctica, stopping at the islands of the South Pacific— including New Zealand, Vanuatu, Tonga, Tahiti, and Easter Island—along the way. The Resolution car­ried the ambitions of the most powerful empire in the world, but Forster brought an understanding that was far ahead of his day. A gifted observer, linguist, artist, and writer, he studied the diverse cultures of the world without prejudice and was one of the first Europeans to talk about universal human rights.

Recognized on his return as one of Europe’s brightest minds, Forster used his fame to advocate for freedom and human rights and wrote against empire, white supremacy, and slavery. He admired strong, educated women, even accepting his wife’s independence—and her love affairs. Driven by his passion for equality, Forster would eventually be pulled into the vortex of the French Revolution and live in Paris during the Reign of Terror. Throughout it all, he held close the radical belief that our common humanity is far greater than what sets us apart. The Traveler recounts the remarkable life of this deeply curious and exceptional man who, though largely forgotten by history, truly belonged to the future."George Forster, a celebrity intellectual in his day, was a man far ahead of his time. In this thrilling biography-cum-adventure story, Andrea Wulf deftly shows us how Forster’s far-flung wanderings inspired and nurtured one of the greatest minds of the Enlightenment era." —Hampton Sides, New York Times bestselling author of The Wide Wide Sea

“A remarkable biography of a remarkable man. Wulf’s books are always horizon-expanding, but with this one she has excelled herself. I loved it!” —Tom Holland, cohost of The Rest Is History and author of Rubicon

“With her beautiful, sensitive, impressively researched biography of George Forster, Andrea Wulf brilliantly narrates the novelistic life of a uniquely curious scholar at a pivotal moment in Western Civilization, a man who embodied the notion that travel breeds empathy. Forster's unquestioning love for his fellow human being, as recounted by Wulf, is a much-needed antidote to the vitriol that courses through present times.” —Julian Sancton, author of Madhouse at the End of the Earth

"As George Forster circumnavigates the globe, Wulf circumnavigates the Enlightenment mind in all its complexity, making for a doubly brilliant and breathtaking adventure." —Sue Prideaux, author of Wild ThingANDREA WULF was born in India and moved to Germany as a child. She is the author of Magnificent Rebels, The Founding Gardeners, Brother Gardeners, and the New York Times bestseller The Invention of Nature, which has been published in twenty-seven languages and won fifteen international literary awards. Wulf has written for many newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic. She is a member of PEN America and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. She lives in London.