Start listening with a 30-day Audible trial. Choose 1 audiobook and 2 Audible Originals absolutely free. Visit www.audible.com/biographics or text biographics to 500 500.
I'm probably in a minority of viewers, but I particularly enjoy the bios on authors: you've done some of my favorites; Poe, Lovecraft, Orwell, Asimov, and now Robert Louis Stevenson. Thanks so much for these!
I love that he finished his life in Samoa and fell in love with the people and the country. The fact he stood up for native Samoans in his critique of the colonial powers in "A Footnote to History: Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa" is testament to his character as a humanist.
@Neal Palmer It is scary - but Alan Horowitz was using the word 'bloody' in its British-slang sense - meaning "extremely"; i.e., "It's extremely brilliant".
I had heard of the writer before, but up until I visited his house in Samoa, I had never actually read any of his books. Bought a few when there and walked up to his grave to read on beautiful days. Thanks for the memories. Robert Louis. Thanks for the video, Simon.
I got to visit 17 Heriot Row when I visited Edinburgh two years ago and had tea with the current owners. It was amazing. I learned so much about Robert Louis Stevenson there and found in him a kindred spirit. Without realizing it, I found that I somehow traced his life backwards through geography. My earliest memories are of Monterey, California where I lived with I was 4 and 5. When I was 17 I went to Hawai'i, my first vacation. Stevenson had spent some time there before moving on to Samoa (in fact, the picture used in this video is of his time in Hawai'i. He's sitting beside Queen Lili'uokalani, the last ruler of Hawai'i, and beside her is her brother and predecessor, King Kalakaua). Then, of course, when I was 30 I took myself to Scotland, my first time doing anything by myself, my dream trip. I found RLS everywhere starting with his memorial stone in the Princes Street Gardens. Going to his house was one of the definite highlights of my trip. I spent hours there and could have spent days. Besides all I've said, I've wanted to be an author since I was 7 and have been obsessed with pirates since not long after that, so naturally, I'm a fan.
RLS is fondly remembered in Hawaii as being a dear friend of the Cleghorns, who were part of the Hawaii royal family (the patriarch of the clan in Hawaii, Archibald Cleghorn, was also of Scottish descent). He spent quite a bit of time with Hawaii’s last crown princess, Victoria Ka’iulani, and one of his poems about her passing became the lyrics of a song many youth in Hawaii still learn and sing today.
Forth from her land to mine she goes The island maid, the island rose Light of heart and bright of face The daughter of a double race Her islands here, in southern sun Shall mourn their Ka’iulani gone. 💔
I loved his Poems too.... I remember i had to memorize one of his poems in 5 grade in order to participate in Elocution... Good ol days. Made me fall in love with poetry.
My english prof asked us to send her a video of Stevenson to study. The others sent her 2 minutes videos. I sent her this. I have to learn everything perfectly (with a british accent too, I'm italian) for the 5th of april (it's the 31st of march). Wish me luck
On the *Monterey Peninsula is a super expensive private high school named for RLS. How expensive?......their home golf course for the golf team is Pebble Beach. Yeah, THAT Pebble Beach. *Monterey California has one "r", Monterrey Mexico has two. Spaniards named both thusly.
RLS stayed quite awhile in Monterey Ca. (One R in Monterey) he was Unwell and my GGGrandmother Simineau cared for him since they had a restaurant in Monterey. They became good friends. Good video. Thanks.
Please do Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa , Robert Emmett, Constance Markievicz, Victor Hugo, Benjamin Tallmidge, John Graves Simcoe, John André, Stan Lee, Arthur Sullivan, Buddy Holly, Michael Farraday, Marita Lorenz
I'm watching all the novelist episodes. As an inspiring novelist, on the brink of something good. These writers lives. I find somethings similar to my life thus far and the similar struggles they had. I feel as though I have more friends with like minds than before thanks everybody at Biographics
The videogames industry is DESPERATELY in need of good writers. I don't know how much "books" still work in this day and age. For me personally, I can't read anything, I can't simply be arsed with being sitting focusing on one single task (phisically impossible) But when I think about a good vehicle that makes use of stories, I see videogames, one of the last "frontiers" of self expression still available
Even though care has to be put on the delivery. No videogame player would be arsed to sit through paragraphs of text, that kind of stuff is of no use and would cause the opposite effect you wanted. Plot elements and story being told as you move around the game, and not in still text boxes. Daggerfall/Skyrim is on the verge of excess (even though they make the excessive portion completely Optional to the player, and not required for progress) DeusEx/Thief series would be good examples of good flow. Metal Gear Solid series too, to some extent.
In "An Apology for Idlers" (1877) Stevenson demonstrates to have an immense maturity and high emotional intelligence in order to make a critique of the environment around him at such early age. His words are poignant, aggressive (as is should be) and still relevant to this day. Please have in mind he wrote that BEFORE his later fiction successes, and he also wrote it BEFORE engaging in real-life adventures travelling in France and crossing USA.
When I was in grade school, we have to learn a number of his poems from his book called A Child's Garden of verses. Some I remember to this day. Also, I read that he was a master at a certain instrument and wrote hundreds of pieces for it. So I recommend the short story "The Bottle Imp" and a movie called "The Wrong Box" that was based on one of his joke novels.
I was never a "fiction" person really, not even as a kid. Couldn't be arsed with "fantasy" much, yawn Zzzzzz LOL But being assigned to read Treasure Island for school made such an impact on me that I would find myself drawing maps on paper trying to imagine what the rest of the fictional world looked like. Which is a testament for how good of a writer the guy really was, I think.
Stevenson's 'SPY GLASS HILL' (Treasure Island) is likely named after 'Sugarloaf Hill' located on the Peter Michael Vineyard/Estate in Knight's Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA. Stevenson's Best Man at his San Francisco wedding (1880) was Virgil Williams, who recommended to the newly married Stevensons their 'Honeymoon' camping location located on the slopes of Mt Saint Helena (MSH), north of Calistoga, CA. From this period, arose Stevenson's book: 'The Silverado Squatters'. Williams lived in Knight's Valley partly during the year on the upper slopes (of MSH) above Knight's Valley and Stevenson was said to have called on Williams at his cabin there - but first having to ride within sight of Sugarloaf Hill.
The Custodian Helmet is the headgear traditionally worn by male police constables and sergeants while on foot patrol in England and Wales. Officers of all ranks in most forces are also issued a flat, peaked cap that is worn on mobile patrol in a vehicle. Ranks above sergeant wear the peaked cap only. However, some Inspectors wear the Custodian Helmet, but with two silver bands around the base (to match the two pips worn as rank insignia) to denote their position. Claimed by some sources to have been based on the spiked pickelhaube worn by the Prussian Army, it was first adopted by the London Metropolitan Police in 1863 to replace the "stovepipe" top hat worn since 1829. In 1863, the Metropolitan Police replaced the previous uniform of white trousers, swallow-tailed coat and top hat in favour of very dark blue trousers, a more modern button up tunic and the early type of helmet which had an upturned brim at the front and a raised spine at the back, running from the bottom to the top of the helmet, which became known as the "cockscomb".
I grew up near the beach that looks out on what is now Point Lobos National park, which (according to local legend) is the spot where RLS was inspired to write "Treasure Island".
Stevenson part of the great Scottish Renaissance, where nearly every heavyweight intellectual in 19th century England was of Scottish descent. Not bad for a people who just a century before were viewed as inferior.
The photo you showed of Stevenson hosting people at a dinner party in his home in Samoa: Iʻd like to know for sure whether thatʻs at his home in Samoa or whether that was, as I believe it is, at ʻIolani Palace in Hawaiʻi. He is known to have visited Kalakaua and Liliʻuokalani, and I believe the photo was taken in Hawaiʻi, not Samoa at his residence. I have a particular interest in the King and Queen and ʻIolani Palace and would like to know for sure where the photo was taken. But yes, very informative and I did enjoy learning more about Robert Louis Stevenson. I was looking for more information on this friend of Liliʻuokalani. Iʻd like to learn more about his idea of being a writer as "splitting himelf into ʻmyselfʻ and ʻthe other fellow.ʻ" I guess that would be spelled out in Jekyll and Hyde.
I live in Edinburgh in the village of Colinton so you might know the thing about that..... He wrote his books in the church yard of Colinton parish church with his dog And..... I LIVE IN THAT VILLAGE 👌👌👌👌👌
1:30 - Chapter 1 - An ill child lives through imagination 6:25 - Chapter 2 - Life as writer ? Better have a backup plan 8:55 - Mid roll ads 10:25 - Chapter 3 - Loves comes when you least expect it 14:15 - Chapter 4 - Was is a death sentence...or did it make life worth living ? 16:40 - Chapter 5 - Samoa's setting sun
"Man is not truly one, but truly two. I say two, because the state of my own knowledge does not pass beyond that point. Others will follow, others will outstrip me on the same lines; and I hazard the guess that man will be ultimately known for a mere polity of multifarious, incongruous and independent denizens." - Dr. Henry Jekyll in Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
I wish you mentioned the fact that he was loved by the people of Samoa and that they carried is body up a mountain called Mt. Vaea (not an easy hike, done it many times) where he is buried. And that there is even a Highschool named after him in Samoa.
Great biography. I appreciate it overall, except that you didn’t mention I played piano and composed music, and enjoyed very much those things. Nor did you mention how much I loved the places in California I visited and lived in. But otherwise, nice work, Simon et. al😉
It is reported long John Silver was a character that exsist. While RLS was in hospital as a child, saw an image of LJS come into his ward and was terrified of his wooden leg.
please do a documentary on the WEIRDEST event in wwII. Rudolf hess flies to england at the peak of the war to negotiate a surrender of germany. He landed and was immediately arrested and jailed by the british.
Would you do a video on Col Claus von Stauffenberg? I have read so much about him and his attempt to kill Hitler, so I'd really love to see you film a video about him ☺️
