The TravelerThe Traveler

"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, the pair 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 Captain Cook's second voyage, the most daring expedition of the time. The HMS Resolution sailed to the isalnds of the South Pacific, including New Zealand, Vanuatu, Tonga, Tahiti, and Easter Island. It car­ried the ambitions of the world's most powerful empire, but Forster studied diverse cultures 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. Through it all, he held close the radical belief that what humans share is far greater than what sets us apart. The Traveler recounts the remarkable life of this exceptional man who, though largely forgotten by history, truly belonged to the future"--