The Man From the Cave
Published on 31. October 2023
Book
Hardback
342 pages
978-1-64837-377-0 (ISBN)
Description
Uncovering the Mystery of a Forgotten American
The Man from the Cave is a uniquely compelling blend of investigative journalism, biography, and personal philosophy. Author, adventurer, and mentor to generations of backcountry hikers, Colin Fletcher discovered a dusty old trunk full of belongings at the mouth of a Nevada cave, and, upon studying the contents, became obsessed with finding out all he could about the former mystery tenant.
Fletcher wrote of his quest in the San Francisco Chronicle and subsequently heard from an elderly woman who had been the cave-dweller's erstwhile romantic partner; his name: "Chuckawalla" Bill Simmons.
With this key piece of information in hand, Fletcher followed Simmons' trail through several states and visited the National Archives, as well as Simmons' hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania. Tracking down friends and family members, he meticulously knits together the colorful past of a former military man who was a gambler and tried his hand at prospecting, all the while wandering about the American West under a series of pseudonyms.
As with his other books, including The Man Who Walked Through Time and The Thousand-Mile Summer, Fletcher's narrative becomes as much about the author as about his subject: both men were wanderers, seeking many diverse and often solitary experiences. Anyone who enjoys high adventure and true tales of life on the fringes of society will find this a fascinating read.
This book is also available from Echo Point Books as a paperback (ISBN 164837378X).
More details
Language
English
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
707 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-64837-377-0 (9781648373770)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
A lifelong interest in local history was sparked by a village schoolmaster when the author was eight years old. He had led his pupils on a short walk from the school to the rather fine church where the group gathered in the shade of a yew tree.
No doubt Mr Barnes pointed out important architectural details, but the author only remembers the excitement he felt when told he was standing in the very spot where the roundhead soldiers had stood an unimaginable three centuries earlier, as they attacked the decorated stonework of the church.
During a long life, mostly connected to farming in Ontario, Western Australia and Wiltshire, the fascination with history never faded. An understanding of recent centuries merely raised further questions of even earlier times; the succession of questions seemed to become one huge enquiry.
Yet this has been a practical life, pursued for the most part in sunshine or rain, long hours of physical labour while caring for farm animals. The pleasure of writing fiction was a late discovery; now an ancient novice is hoping to share that pleasure.