The Lives and Extraordinary Adventures of Fifteen Tramp Writers from the Golden Age of Vagabondage

In the second half of the 1800s, it was a glorious time to tie up some supplies in a bindlestiff, hit the rails, and head off in a boxcar to who knows where. Ian Cutler chronicles the lives of fourteen men and one women who wrote about their life on the road in this era. All lived hard lives, some making a living on and off as boxers or grifters, serving time in prison, or setting off on ships around the world. He shows the brilliance of their wanderlust and camaraderie as well as their struggles with addiction, troubled relationships, and the dangers of railroad life. Includes Jack Black, Jack London, Kathleen Phelan, Thomas Manning Page, Trader Horn, and ten other literary hobos.