This was a great, quick read. I’ve always been interested in Nellie Bly ever since I had to do a project about her in school. And I feel that her story was somewhat lost to time. It was really cool to read about someone following in her footsteps and learn more about her along the way. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Very interesting read! Highly recommend for history buffs out there.

Nellie Bly is was one of America’s most famous journalists. She has been an icon in popular culture. I have read a few historical novel about Nellie Bly, but not a real nonfiction biography. This biography was very short and comprehensive. It also highlighted Nellie Boy’s accomplishments. Thus, I recommend this for those who do not know much about her story.

”If I could do it as quickly as Phineas Fogg did, I should go.” Nellie Bly.

Rosemary writes about her trip around the world following in Nellie Bly’s footsteps. Rosemary first learns of Nellie Bly (a famous woman journalist that traveled the world in 72 days from 1889-1890) in 2013. Inspired by Nellie’s experience, Rosemary plans a trip in 2014 to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Nellie’s journey. Rosemary makes her trip in 27 days following many of the same routes as her predecessor.

I love memoirs and this was an intriguing one! The book is beautifully written and well researched. I loved getting to know more about Nellie Bly and reading about Rosemary’s experiences as she visited the same places Nellie did. It made me antsy to travel again! This is the perfect book for readers who enjoy a good memoir!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed getting to know Nellie Bly, I really felt bad for her that she was lost to time. The book was well-written and I was entertained from start to finish.

I ended up having mixed feelings about this book. As interesting as the idea of journalist Nellie Bly traveling around the world to beat the fictional “Around the World in 80 Days” record, and then a modern journalist making the same trip 125 years later sounds, it didn’t translate the way I thought it would. I didn’t feel like I ended the book knowing any more about Bly than when I started (which wasn’t much), or about travel in the late 1800s. Did the trip change anything for anyone or just give Nellie and her newspaper some fame? Did she ever go back and see any of the places she raced through, since the point of her trip seemed more about doing it fast than experiencing cultures and peoples? There were a few points, especially in China and Japan and visiting Jules Verne, where there was more of a feel for what Nellie saw and experienced and thought, and I enjoyed those parts. The modern travel of author Brown is where we most often get the historical context for what was going on where Nellie was at the time, but I wasn’t generally a big fan of Brown’s travel experience. The link to Nellie is thin in most places, although kudos to Brown for trying, and rarely held my interest.

Overall, you could tell Brown is a huge fan of Bly, but I never felt like I got enough of a picture of her, her life, or her travels to be nearly as interested myself.

I received an Arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I can't even begin to imagine taking this trip at such a rapid pace as Nelly Bly did over 100 years ago.

As Rosemary Brown retraced the famous journey, she wrote beautifully of what she saw, the sights, sounds, scents, and what it all must have looked like when Ms. Bly ventured through there not so long ago.

Me knowing that there was another woman (Elizabeth Bisland) traveling in the opposite direction to prove that women could travel on their own, only added another layer of excitement as Brown took us along Nelly's route. I could imagine another author writing and adventuring at the same time as Brown.

In this time of the pandemic, Brown's book helped me (mentally) get out of my house and venture into the unknown.

I also featured it on my TV segment (link is added).

Great trip back in history.

I received a copy of this book for an honest review.

I am writing this review just after I had to rebook my holliday. Oh lockdown, will you ever end… I am so sad to do so as well, because this book made me want to go on a really long vacation. I constantly found myself on Google looking up pictures of all the wonderful places Nellie and Rosemary visited. Let’s say may head is Full of plans for adventures I want to go on.

Last year I got a graphic novel through Netgalley that told about the life of Nellie Bly. I didn’t like the novel, but did get very interested in this amazing woman. So when I saw Brown’s book on the site I knew I Had to request it. And what a wonderful decision it was.

<i>Nellie was much more than a famous news reporter. She paved the way for female journalists, opening newsroom doors to women like me, and pioneered investigative reporting – the kind of journalism that brings about change and makes the world she circled a better place. Nellie Bly defied the status quo, gave voices to the vulnerable, championed women’s rights and challenges us, still today, to believe that ‘nothing is impossible if one applies a certain amount of energy in the right direction’. </i>

Nellie started her career in investigative journalism by feigning insanity and getting herself locked up in an asylum, and upon her release 10 days later wrote about the horrible treatment she and the other patients received. This book however tells us about how she took on the challenge set by Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days, and in the winter of 1889 she traveled around the world in 72 days, by herself, with a single bag for luggage and only 1 dress. This during a time where a woman couldn’t even travel to the other city of the city unchaperoned. We also follow Rosemary Brown as she follows in Nellie’s footsteps 125 years later (though with much nicer accomodations and comfortable modes of travel). Rosemary did mainly so in spirit though, as she skipped the Middle East (for safety reasons) and crossed all of the United States by plane from Japan to New York. Though in a way understandable, this was quite a shame. I would have liked to have read Nellie’s accounts of these places as well.

Rosemary is a journalist herself, and she can definitely write. It was just wonderful to read her travel journal, interspersed with quotes from Nellie. Although this may seem like some heavy reading from the outside, it feels more like Rosemary is just talking to us than anything. It was very nice to see how much things have changed in the 125 years between the two journeys. Places like Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore have grown and developed enourmously from the colonial places Nellie visited. It was nice to see Brown hunt down the few remaining temples, statues and the one hotel that have remained.

This was a very enjoyable read for me, and an inspiring one for sure. Brown comes of as a bit rich and priviliged at times (especially the letter she receives from her daughter at the start of the book came as a shock to me), but overall has made me want to visit places I never thought I would want to go to. Be aware though that this book may not be as Nellie centered as you might want to.

I'd like to thank the publisher for the chance to read the book. It was good, and I'm very jealous that Ms. Brown was able to follow in the footsteps of someone I've admired since a fifth grade report.

This is such a delightful, charming book, and I am grateful that it took me on a virtual tour in Nellie Bly's footsteps when international travel is banned from Australia. Intrepid journalist Nellie Bly decided to try to beat the fictional Phileas Fog's whirlwind trip around the world, and succeeded. She set off with only one useful dress and very little else, and travelled to several different places, including France, Sri Lanka, Japan and China. One of the highlights of her trip was visiting Phileas's creator Jules Verne and his wife at their home in Amiens, France. She often travelled in style, staying at some grand hotels, but she also had to put up with some awful conditions in various places. Nellie captured hearts wherever she went, especially in her beloved Japan .

Rosemary J. Brown set off to find Nellie, and she found her in a few places, but the world has changed so much with natural disasters, demolished buildings and other changes that it was hard to find spaces which had remained exactly the same. However, Nellie's spirits was with her, and she writes vivid and colourful descriptions of her travels. I especially love her description of beautiful Colombo, which really made me want to visit. She had a much easier time than Nellie on occasion, for example, she travels from London to Colombo in eleven hours; it took Nellie sixteen days!

Like Nellie, Rosemary J. Brown is concerned about violations of human rights, and her descriptions of executions in China both then and now will make your blood run cold. Nellie's fascination with them was rather macabre, though.

I would be happy to read this book again, and it made me want to read more about Nellie Bly.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I have always been a real fan of Nellie Bly, who was a woman ahead of her time. In this book, the author recreates Nellie’s trip around the world as best she can, 125 years later. A fun idea, although much has changed and some places are sadly no longer safe to travel. An interesting idea.

In these days of pandemic I do miss being able to travel beyond the daily dog walks in my neighborhood. I'm glad I got to travel when I did, back in my youth - sadly those days will never return. Now, as I dream of travel, what a joy it was to encounter this book and spend time in the days of the great Nellie Bly as they are seen through the travels of Rosemary Brown. It's not possible to match Nellie's around the world trip but this was a treat for this armchair traveler.
One thing that I found fascinating that connects Nellie Bly to Rick Steves - traveling vast distances with nothing more than a carry-on. I've tried that and came up way short. So settle down in a comfy chair with a cuppa and take a mental trip in the footsteps of Nellie Bly. I enjoyed every page and was left with a desire to go back and read more about Nellie Bly.
My thanks to the publisher Pen and Sword and to. NeGallery for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Nellie Bly was not for the faint of heart. As a female journalist in a "man's world" she found herself sneaking into mental hospitals, exposing corruption, and completing the Jules Verne around the world trip in 72 days. In this book, author Rosemary Brown retraces Bly's footsteps for this expedition and in doing so discovers the world of Bly herself.

Following Nellie Bly: Her Record-Breaking Race Around the World
By Rosemary J. Brown
Pen and Sword History (31 March 2021)

As soon as I saw the title of this book, I knew I wanted to read it. I’ve been fascinated with Nellie Bly for years and was excited to see a new book about her life. I assumed it was another biography, but it is actually more of a travelogue in which the author retraces Nellie’s around the world adventure. The book is part travel/cultural journal and part history, and includes a bit of biographical information, as well.

The author, Rosemary Brown, begins by talking about her love for Victorian female adventurers and “how they defied convention.” The idea for this book came to her during the winter of 2013, when she decided to reenact Nellie’s trip, although her trip would be via plane rather than by boat. Coincidentally, or not, 2014 was the 125th anniversary of Nellie’s journey around the world. It was the perfect time to retrace some of Nellie’s steps.

Brown, who lives in England, followed part of Nellie’s trip around the world, searching for her in each place she visited. In some locations, Nellie wasn’t difficult to find; in others, there was little or no trace remaining of the past. I enjoyed the author’s lively writing style and I loved learning about the history of each country Brown visited. I also found myself wanting to visit each place and have added more countries to my travel bucket list!

As a fan of Nellie Bly, and travel, I was super excited to read this book and it did not disappoint.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pen and Sword History Books for the ARC.

This book seems like it should be up my alley, but I didn't entirely enjoy it. There is something very very different in today's day and age. The premise seems cute in practice but entirely unenvironmental and a bit silly in practice. Also, where are the citations and footnotes referencing the works being cited? Just because you are writing a travelogue doesn't mean you shouldn't use best practices.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my reviews, but all opinions are my own.

{Digital copy provided by NetGalley}

This short travelogue style trip following the famous journalist, adventurer, and renowned 19th century woman Nellie Bly’s journey around the globe is a fun and educational experience. Interesting are the inclusion of visuals and the comparison between modern day and the 19th century, as well as the feeling of movement and enthusiasm.

This book heavily relies on Nellie Bly’s own account of her journey, at times to excess. In general this book meanders around a bit too much for my taste, While I appreciate the ample knowledge included in this book, the author spends much too long on at best tangentially related subjects such as Ulysses S. Grant’s visit to Japan or the history of the city Apollo. The pictures included in the book would have worked much nicer if they had been integrated in the respective chapters instead of tacked on in the back, and the digital copy did not allow zooming in on text or pictures, making it a bit hard to read.

While I think the contents of this book could have worked better as a series of newspaper articles, I still enjoyed this trip around the world, especially in a time when travel is impossible.

3.5 stars

I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review
Nellie Bly is a fascinating character from history and this was an interesting read

My thanks to the publishers for an advanced review copy of this book, which is an enjoyable read. Part history, part travelogue, it tells the story of Nellie Bly, a very early investigative journalist and a woman, who has the stupendous idea of challenging Phileas Fogg’s fictional circling of the earth in 80 days. She does it in fewer days in an age of steamships and she does it hand luggage only and wearing just one travel suit. Unfortunately, she forgot her camera! It’s not her first adventure but it was her most famous one.

The author follows breathlessly in her footsteps, sometimes rather carried away with her enthusiasm for a character it occurs to me she may not have warmed to in real life had she met her. Nellie was nothing if not a child of her times - sometimes fatuously patriotic and with a ghoulish taste for the macabre. She relishes the gruesome execution sites in old Canton. She cannot resist buying an ill natured monkey and carting it three quarters of the way round the world away from its home. She’s never short of a racial stereotype and is casually comfortable with clambering about over other people’s religious statues. I dare say she may have been a sterling campaigner for women and children too in her other journalist work.

Nonetheless, I found the latter day visits to Colombo, Singapore, Hong Kong and modern day Guangzhou completely fascinating, not having yet been able to visit them myself. Nellie and the author’s visits to Japan were also intriguing, not least because of the affinity both seem to have felt for the place.

This is a pleasantly short and easy read. It’s good to see books about early women pioneers. I’m happy to recommend this one.

Nellie Bly was many things and how she is remembered largely depends on who you ask. For Brown, it was for Bly's emulation of Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days where Nellie followed the same route as the book and made it in 72 days. Brown set out to "recreate" and "relive" Nellie's experience--in thought only. What the book featured is a fan who worried about safety and image more than reliving Bly's experience and quite a bit of cultural stereotyping. Overall, the book was okay but I can see where it would be problematic for people sensitive to socio-economic differences and implied racial prejudice.

Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword History for the opportunity to read an advance reader's copy.

Nellie Bly has been one of my personal heroes for many years now, I will read anything about her that I come across. Hence why I requested FOLLOWING NELLIE BLY from NetGalley. All I needed to see was her name, I hit the request button. I was a little torn on how I felt about the book. I enjoyed reading about Nellie’s trip around the world that took her 72 days—8 days less than Jules Verne's character Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days. In 1890, Nellie traveled mostly by train and on ships. And she did it all in the same sensible dress and carrying no more than what fit in her small bag.

125 years later—while carrying more luggage and with much nicer accommodations and easier ways to travel—Rosemary J. Brown retraces parts of Nellie’s route. Traveling through the Middle East was just too dangerous, and Brown flew over most of the United States before arriving in New York. While it is clear that Brown has a passion for Bly and that she did her research, it seemed she was more on a quest to find Nellie’s ghost lingering in some of these places than she was in tracing the exact route of Nellie’s journey.

It was interesting to see how drastically things have changed since Nellie’s trip back in 1890. Along with England and France, Brown visited China, Japan, Singapore, and Ceylon/Sri Lanka. Brown sought out some of the places that Nellie visited while she waited for the next train or boat so she could continue her travels. A few of the places remain—including one hotel that Nellie stayed at. There are also a few sites that were preserved as historic monuments. But a great deal has changed—some by man and others by nature. I was fascinated by the parts that described Nellie’s journey. And I enjoyed the parts were Brown showed how the areas had changed. But quickly grew bored during some of the extended parts about her “vacation.” Overall, an interesting travelogue but not quite the book I expected based on the description.