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The Autobiography of a Supertramp

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The Autobiography of a Supertramp

By: W. H. Davies
Narrated by: Peter Joyce
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At the end of the 19th Century W.H.Davies hustled his way across America, working when he could, begging and stealing when he couldn't. He saw life on the breadline. He was beaten up in New Orleans, thrown into prison in Michigan and was present at lynching’s in Tennessee, truly a diarist of the nether side of the American dream. After travelling with some of the most interesting and adventurous characters, an accident forced him to return to a similar poverty filled world back in England.

"The incorrigible Super-tramp who wrote this amazing book. I have read it through from beginning to end, and would have read more of it had there been any more to read." George Bernard Shaw.

©2011 Assembled Stories (P)2004 Assembled Stories Classics
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Critic reviews

"Peter Joyce is the most remarkable one-man band in audiobook publishing. Joyce, an experienced actor, reads them all himself." (The Independent)
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I first read this book in secondary school some 60 years ago and really enjoyed it, I think the thoughts of tramping across the USA appealed to most young lad’s, listening to the audio book brought back many good memories, I actually remembered most of the chapters and characters from long ago, I must mention that as times have moved on some of the words and thoughts will offend in these day’s, the narrative by Peter Joyce is very pleasant

Very enjoyable

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a well read autobiography from yesteryear. an insight into a world long gone. A classic.

a classic

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Having known of WHDavies all of my life I was surprised to realise that I had reached my sixth decade without reading this book. In these days of political correctness and also a much greater and blessedly wider knowledge and understanding of many cultures this can be challenging but it represent a landmark, and allows us to see how prejudices arise and reminds us of how far we have (or havent come). It is also a highly entertaining story of a resilient and daring young man and his attempts to find his way in the world through unconventional means.

A window into the past and another life

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It was amazing to listen to a journey experiencing the US at the end of the 1800, especially episodes which portrayed how generous and callous life was. My grandfather was born around the same time, I could imagine him going through the same wanderlust, his choice was to join the army, this author chose to take himself from A to B to C as a supertramp. Fascinating.

Fascinating

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I first read this book at school in 1959 along with the rest of my class. I loved it then and I loved it all over again this time. My teachers name was Mr Davis and he was a great admirer of his name sake, he too a Welsh man.

Loved this book

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