The Autobiography of a Supertramp (Library of Wales)

A successful book in its time, now regarded as a classic, Autobiography of a Super-tramp relays the experiences of a young, destitute Welshman in America and Britain. The pen of W. H. Davies, vagabond and writer, reveals a fascinating picture of a vast, bustling continent intent on its own affairs and of a Britain on the cusp of change between old certainties and an uneasy future. Near the turn of the century, when he was 22, Davies&; restless spirit led him to the United States, where he worked around the country taking casual jobs where he could, thieving and begging where he couldn&;t. His experiences were richly colored by the bullies, tricksters, and fellow adventurers he encountered&;New Haven Baldy, Wee Shorty, the Indian Kid, and English Harry, to name but a few. He was thrown into prison in Michigan, beaten up in New Orleans, witnessed a lynching in Tennessee, and got drunk pretty well everywhere. A harrowing accident forced him to return to England and the seedy world of doss-houses and down-and-outs like Boozy Bob and Irish Tim. When George Bernard Shaw first read the manuscript of Davies&; adventures, he was stunned by the raw power of its unvarnished narrative.