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Review: Wanderings Traveler’s Notebook

I received the Wanderings Notebook to review not long ago and wanted to give a good thorough field test before I wrote my review. It will look like most of the leather, Midori-like notebooks you’ve seen on Etsy and other sites and wonder “What’s the big deal?” And that’s part of the big deal. There’s no a big deal unlike Foxy Fix, Chic Sparrow, Buteo Bunker, ZenCraft, One Star Leather or any of the other more posh brands.The Wanderings Notebook doesn’t have a lot of bells-and-whistles. There’s no pockets, extra stitching, no “extra room”, no personal size, passport size, Moleskine size, pocket size, slim size, blah blah blah…. It doesn’t come with a bunch of different colored elastic options or charms or custom embossing. To be honest, a lot of those options cause me to seize up with too-many-decisions-to-make-before-I-can-place-my-order and then I never place an order. The only branding on the Wanderings Notebook is a literal brand on the cover of a compass rose.

Right now, the Wanderings Notebook is only available in dark chocolate brown leather in the original traveler’s size (closed it’s approx. 8.5″ x 4.75″  or 22.2×12.7cm). The elastic is brown. Henry Ford would approve.You can get it any color you want as long as you want it in brown.

I decided to do a bit of a side-by-side with a regular Midor Traveler’s Notebook. The only full-sized Midori I could find was the  2015 Blue Edition Midori Traveler’s Notebook . The Wanderings Notebook is a bit wider overall than the Midori. The added bit of leather on the Wanderings strap is a noticeably nice addition. Also, the stock Wanderings elastic is a bit wider than the standard Traveler’s Notebook elastic. From the top view, you can see that the leather textures are a little bit different. The Wanderings Notebook is a bit more rustic where the Blue Edition has a smoother texture.

The leather on the Wanderings looks a bit thicker overall but its still supple. Inside my Midori Traveler’s Notebook (it as still branded Midori in 2015) is one a refills of handmade sketchbook paper and a plastic sleeve or two.

The Wanderings Notebook uses brass toggles to finish the ends of the elastics. The Wanderings Notebook also does not include any bookmarks in its notebook unlike the Traveler’s Notebook though it would not be difficult to add your own if you wanted to customize your notebook.

From the side view, you can see that the Wanderings Notebook uses the  side hole to attach the elastic for the closure which many people prefer over the back knot that the Traveler’s Notebook uses. Also, the Wanderings Notebook has the same brass noodle-like bead on the side. I prefer it to the Midori disc which sticks out away from the book quite a bit.

I tested out an assortment of my currently inked fountain pens on the notebooks that came with the Wanderings Notebooks.

The Wanderings Notebook ships with three blank inserts with kraft covers and ivory paper. I was surprised to discover that the paper was actually quite good for fountain pens. Most of my fine and medium nibs did quite well.

I usually clip a multi-pen to my Traveler’s Notebook since it ends up getting tossed around a lot or going to meetings and I like having a pen and a pencil with me. I was pleased that gel ink and pencil worked well on the paper that shipped with the cover but was equally happy to see that the paper stood up to a lot of different media.

There’s a little bit of show through on the reverse of stock but not too bad.

In the end though, with a Traveler’s Notebook cover, the most important aspect is always the durability of the cover and how well it wears and feels in your hand. The universality of the size means that finding a replacement insert is not a big deal. I will often just cut down old sketchbooks to make refills in a pinch. So I think it was wise for Black Mountain to go with this size to start. I know a lot of people don’t like this size or prefer the Field Notes or Passport size better but I find that once you adapt to the Traveler’s classic size, you re won over to it for good.

One of the things I talked with the Black Mountain Company about was that their notebooks are made in China and that is how they are able to keep their costs down. We talked about it at length and I hope that he won’t mind me quoting him here:

When I selected my supplier in China it was one of my top priorities to partner with a company that I felt good about in terms of how they treat their people and how the product is made. They pay their people well, source raw materials ethically, and produce a truly high quality product. I’ll leave that last point up to your judgement as well, of course. I’m not an “artisan” as it is so popular to be these days, but that was not my goal when I started Wanderings. I wanted to provide a truly quality product to people at a price that a normal person can afford, along with stellar customer service (my specialty and what I enjoy doing). Our planet is a global civilization and I run a micro-global company. My products are designed in Canada, made in China, and sold around the world, and I like it that way.

As someone who also works with Chinese manufacturers regularly, I can relate to his situation and his passion. I also his appreciate his honesty. Having walked through Chinese factories myself and seen the pride and hard work with my own eyes, I know what it means to see what you have envisioned come to life in the hands of craftspeople on the other side of the globe. Anyway… back to the bottom line.

The Wanderings Notebook is just $26.99 and includes three blank refills to get you started. Unlike the Traveler’s Notebook, it does not come with the cotton dust bag and the fancy paperboard box and extra elastics to keep those costs down. You can use that savings to embellish and add to your notebook however you see fit. If you’ve never tried a leather notebook cover before, there’s no better way to try one and I feel good about recommending a company who is both honest and honorable.

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Written by Ana

10 comments / add your comment below.

Ana, as a TN collector preferring the regular TN size and owning a few others in the “posh” brands, this one has the classic rustic appeal of what a Traveler’s Notebook really should be. A notebook that is portable to record travel adventures and will age well with time. I shouldn’t say this, but it is even more appealing than the authentic Midori Traveler’s Notebook, as the leather cover appears to already have a well-worn texture and I love the compass rose. I can envision the inserts to be full of stamps, sketches, and collected ephemera from exotic travels. This would be a fantastic starter notebook or excellent addition to a larger collection.

Thanks for evaluating the quality of the inserts, as I am a fan of fountain pens also. I just ordered the notebook with an extra set of inserts and can’t wait to feel the leather. Your recent posts have been quite enabling for me to go directly to the product’s website and put in my order immediately! Thanks for all of the work you do to review all things stationery and pen related!

I feel like THIS is the basic, no-frills traveler’s notebook I’ve been looking for. So glad to see your review. Thank you!

Too bad it doesn’t ship to Brazil. cries

“My products are designed in Canada, made in China, and sold around the world, and I like it that way.”

.. And yet it only ships to the US and Canada. Shame.

Hey Christian! Please contact me here: https://wanderersway.com/pages/contact

We do special international shipping 🙂

Thank you for the well written and kind-hearted review, Ana. I truly appreciate it 🙂

Evan from Wanderings

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The Wnadering notebook recently came up over on the Fountain Pen Network’s forum. The device is exactly the same as a cover that is available from a number of amazon merchants. The cylindrical finials and leather bit on the closure are identical. Prices range from US$27-35 so it pays to shop carefully. I have nothing negative to say about the product or the sourcing; I have no personal experience with these leather covers and capitalism rocks.

I have a wandering pocket travelers notebook and I love it. I use mine as a wallet also, with inserts for that purpose, the leather is great, love the feel of it. Great product.

Just purchased the Wanderings Travel Journal and am very pleased. It fits perfectly in my Billingham camera bag, and compliments the looks perfectly. I do a lot of travel photography ‘old school’…small Leica kit…very minimalist. I also use a fountain pen to record my doodles and was finding that the paper quality of Moleskin products of late just wasn’t there…so much bleedthrough that the writings were nearly illegible. The Wanderings Journal is simple, great quality…and it works.

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Between Wanderings: Jewish Life and Culture, 1850s-1920s

The Between Wanderings book collection

These new translations celebrate Jewish life from the 1850s to 1920s. Some feature first-person accounts of the era’s Jewish communities, customs, folklore, synagogues, schools and culture. Sales links follow each book description.

This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Scenes of Jewish Life in Alsace

Sephardic Jews and the Spanish Language

With letters and photos from Jews in early-1900s Turkey, Morocco, Palestine, Austria and Romania

In 1903, four centuries after Spain expelled the Jews, a Spanish senator launched a campaign to have his country reopen relations with their descendants, the Sephardic Jews. To promote the campaign, he wrote this classic book, now available in a new annotated translation.

Eager to let Jews speak for themselves, he devoted a third of the book to photos and letters from Sephardim in different countries, in which they describe their communities, synagogues, schools, families, literature and aspirations

They also wrote to him about Ladino—the Judeo-Spanish language that many of them still used at home and in worship. The book documents Sephardic life at a turning point: the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, when many young Sephardim were starting to reject the Spanish language that their ancestors had passed down from generation to generation since 1492.

Senator Pulido’s writings, lectures and organizing earned him the nickname “the Apostle of the Sephardic Jews.” His books on this topic continue to be cited frequently by scholars of Sephardic history.

Jewish Immigrants in Early 1900s America: A Visitor’s Account

With more than 50 vintage photos

Millions of Jews came to the United States from the 1880s to 1920s, most of them fleeing poverty and persecution. As the U.S. Jewish population swelled from 250,000 to 4 million, they built new identities and strong communities for themselves.

From Jewish farming settlements to the Lower East Side, Anatole Leroy-Beaulieu describes American Jewish life as it was during his 1904 tour of the eastern states. “I had already visited most of the Jewish quarters in Europe, Asia and Africa,” he explained. Now he longed to see how the refugees were faring in the New World. What he saw amazed and impressed him.

That autumn, he gave an enthusiastic, insightful talk in Paris, praising a “land of wonders and liberty” where long-oppressed Jews were thriving. It was published in French in 1905 as a booklet with no pictures. This new English translation adds dozens of vintage photographs and modern captions.

Visit the vibrant world of Jewish immigrants at the start of the last century: their community organizations and synagogues, schools and libraries, Yiddish newspapers and Yiddish theaters, labor unions and Zionist organizations.

Sharper Iron — Wilderness Wanderings – Numbers 1:1-54: The LORD Calls His Army by Name

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The fourth book of Moses begins at the base of Mount Sinai in the second year after the LORD delivered His people from slavery in Egypt. There, the LORD continues to speak to Moses so that His people will listen to His Word. He names and numbers His army one tribe at a time in preparation for their conquest of the Promised Land. As the book of Numbers progresses, this first generation of Israelites will fall into idolatry and impatience and so fail to receive the Promised Land. However, the LORD will raise up a new generation who will receive His faithfulness with thanksgiving. From this history, the LORD teaches us how to hear and believe His Word today in this time between the salvation that is ours now by faith in Christ and the resurrection that will be ours on the Last Day when Christ returns.  

Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing serves at Concordia University in St. Paul, MN as the Edwin F. and Esther L. Laatsch Chair of Old Testament Studies, the Director of the Center for Biblical Studies, and the Director of the Pre-Seminary Program. He also serves as associate pastor at Cross View Lutheran Church in Edina, MN. He joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Numbers 1:1-54.  

“Wilderness Wanderings” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Numbers. After the LORD delivers His people from slavery in Egypt, He leads them toward the Promised Land. Although the first generation of Israelites prove s faithless, the LORD remains faithful to His people a nd brings a new generation of Israelites to the plains of Moab. This strengthens us to listen to God’s promises today and stay faithful to Him as He guides us toward resurrection life.  

Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God’s Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen.

Sharper Iron is underwritten by Lutheran Church Extension Fund, where your investments help support the work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit lcef.org .

Numbers 1:1-54

A census of israel’s warriors.

1  The  Lord  spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,   2  “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head.   3  From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company.   4  And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers.   5  And these are the names of the men who shall assist you. From Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;   6  from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;   7  from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;   8  from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar;   9  from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;   10  from the sons of Joseph, from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;   11  from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;   12  from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;   13  from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran;   14  from Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;   15  from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.”   16  These were the ones chosen from the congregation, the chiefs of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel.

17  Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named,   18  and on the first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head,   19  as the  Lord  commanded Moses. So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai.

20  The people of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:   21  those listed of the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.

22  Of the people of Simeon, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, those of them who were listed, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:   23  those listed of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.

24  Of the people of Gad, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:   25  those listed of the tribe of Gad were 45,650.

26  Of the people of Judah, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:   27  those listed of the tribe of Judah were 74,600.

28  Of the people of Issachar, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:   29  those listed of the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.

30  Of the people of Zebulun, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:   31  those listed of the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.

32  Of the people of Joseph, namely, of the people of Ephraim, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:   33  those listed of the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.

34  Of the people of Manasseh, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:   35  those listed of the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.

36  Of the people of Benjamin, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:   37  those listed of the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.

38  Of the people of Dan, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:   39  those listed of the tribe of Dan were 62,700.

40  Of the people of Asher, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:   41  those listed of the tribe of Asher were 41,500.

42  Of the people of Naphtali, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:   43  those listed of the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.

44  These are those who were listed, whom Moses and Aaron listed with the help of the chiefs of Israel, twelve men, each representing his fathers’ house.   45  So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel—   46  all those listed were 603,550.

Levites Exempted

47  But the Levites were not listed along with them by their ancestral tribe.   48  For the  Lord  spoke to Moses, saying,   49  “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not list, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel.   50  But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it and shall camp around the tabernacle.   51  When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death.   52  The people of Israel shall pitch their tents by their companies, each man in his own camp and each man by his own standard.   53  But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the people of Israel. And the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony.”   54  Thus did the people of Israel; they did according to all that the  Lord  commanded Moses.

English Standard Version (ESV)  The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by  Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. esv.org

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Rev. Timothy Appel

Although a mathematics degree may not be incredibly helpful to (proudly born-and-raised Texan) Rev. Timothy Appel while hosting Sharper Iron, his love of CFW Walther and the season of Easter will come in handy. His Call is shepherding the flock at Faith Lutheran Church in Godfrey, Illinois, and he’s also husband to wife Kristin and dad to their growing basketball team of children. When he’s not carrying out pastoral duties, you may find him reading “The Lord of the Rings,” snacking on Reese’s peanut butter cups, playing dominoes with his boys, or studying up on Texas history (including Sam Houston, of course).

Sharper Iron — NEW SERIES: Wilderness Wanderings

The coffee hour — bible translation today.

Thy Strong Word — Revelation 1:1-20: Apocalypse—The Vision of Jesus Christ

Thy Strong Word — NEW BOOK: The Apocalypse of St. John— Revelation

Daily Chapel — Rev. Philip Krupski on John 12:37-43

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• https://www.kfuo.org/

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The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey Mass Market Paperback – December 13, 2005

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Reading age 12 - 17 years
• Print length 160 pages
• Language English
• Grade level 7 - 9
• Lexile measure 1220L
• Dimensions 4.13 x 0.46 x 6.88 inches
• Publisher Laurel Leaf
• Publication date December 13, 2005
• ISBN-10 0553494821
• ISBN-13 978-0553494822
• See all details

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Editorial Reviews

From the back cover.

"From the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Excerpt. © reprinted by permission. all rights reserved..

The CYCLOPS Seven more days at sea brought Odysseus and his fleet to an island of rough low hills, where a deep-set bay opened toward them; there in the mouth of the bay, they found a small and most beautiful islet that looked never to have felt the feet of any but the wild goats that grazed there. They beached their ships on the sheltered landward side, and passed the night feasting on fresh meat and the wine of Maron, priest of Apollo, thankful to rest from the sea whose waves pounded the outer side of the islet. Next day, Odysseus took his own ship and a great jar of the priest's wine in case of need and, leaving all the rest, went to see what kind of people lived on the main island; for they could see the faint waft of distant fires, even hear faint and far off the bleating of sheep. And again, as with the Lotus Eaters, he wished to be sure whether or not the people were dangerous. The crossing of the bay was quickly made, and Odysseus chose twelve men from his crew and pushed on inland. They had not gone far when they came upon a cave, its high entrance overhung with laurel bushes, and all about it large stone-walled folds such as men build to hold their flocks at night. Some of the folds were already filled with lambs and kids, but there was no sign of the grown flock, nor of the shepherd; so it must be that he had driven them out to pasture. Odysseus and his band prowled into the cave and looked about them. They found great baskets full of cheeses, huge pails brimming with milk and whey, but no sign or sound of life save for the bleating of the lambs from the folds outside. The seamen wanted to take some cheeses and as many of the lambs and kids as they could carry and be off back to the ship. But Odysseus, always one for seeing whatever was to be seen, wanted to get a sight of the cave's owner before they left. So they ate some of the cheese, being hungry, and settled down at the back of the cave to wait. Toward sunset a great bleating and pattering and all the sounds of a flock arose outside; a shadow fell across the entrance, and in came a monster shaped like a man but larger than any mortal, with only one eye, and that one round and hideous in the middle of his forehead. And at sight of him the Greeks knew that they had come to the land of Cyclops: one-eyed sons of Poseidon, the god of the sea, who lived in caves with their sheep and did not plant or sow, for wheat and vines grew wild for them. And the Greeks knew also that they were in deadly danger. The giant flung down a huge bundle of dry wood that he had brought in for his evening fire. Then he drove in his ewes and with them the lambs and kids, leaving the rams penned outside, and, picking up a huge flat stone, set it across the cave mouth for a door. Twenty-two yoke of horses could not have dragged away that stone. Then he set himself to milking his ewes and she-goats, carefully putting her young to each mother as he finished. The milk he set aside in pails to be drunk or made into cheese. And all this while, the Greeks sat very still in the deepmost inner end of the cave, cold-afraid and crouching in the dark. But the darkness could not shield them for long, for the one-eyed giant was making his evening fire, and as the flames sprang up, the red light licked into the farthest corner of the cave and found them crouching there. "Strangers!" roared the Cyclops when he saw them, in a voice like stones grating together on a beach. "What brings you here over the highways of the sea? Traders, are you? Or pirates sucking up other men's goods and gear?" "We are Greeks," Odysseus told him, "men from the war-host of Agamemnon, who have been long years besieging Troy. Now, with Troy fallen, we are on our way back to our own land; but winds and tides have carried our ships into strange seas; and weare come to you, hoping in the name of Zeus the All-Father that you will show us the kindness and hospitality that men show to way-weary guests beneath their roof." But in truth he expected little kindness in that place, and little enough kindness he and his men received. "As to this Zeus whom you call the All-Father," said the giant, "we the Cyclops do not care an overripe fig for him, or for all his fellow gods save for Poseidon, who is our father, for we are stronger than they are, and have no need to obey any will but our own!" And he laughed deep in his throat and, seizing two of the crouching seamen, dashed out their brains on the ground. While their comrades watched in frozen horror, he tore them limb from limb and devoured them as a mountain liondevours his kill, washing down the flesh with long drafts of milk. Then he lay down to sleep amid the huddled warmth of his flock. As soon as he was asleep, Odysseus drew his sword and, creeping close, felt for the place under the ribs where a sword thrust would pierce the giant's liver and let out his life. But even as he did so he remembered that with the Cyclops dead, there would be no getting out of that cave for himself or his men; not with that huge stone wedged across the entrance. And he sheathed his sword and went back and sat down among them once more, only shaking his head at their questioning looks. Morning came, and the giant ate two more men. Then he milked and drove out his ewes, returning their young to the folds, and set the great stone back in the entrance as lightly as a man replacing the lid on a quiver full of arrows, and departed, driving his flock away to their day's grazing in the hill pastures. The Greeks were near to despair. But there was a plan forming in Odysseus' head, bywhich he might save at least some of them. The giant had left his staff in the cave; a tall trunk of olive wood still green, that looked to the captive Greeks more like the mast of a ship; and from this, with the tools that he found ready to hand, Odysseus managed to hack a piece about the length of an outstretched man. He set his men to smooth and shape it as though for a spear-shaft, while he built up the fire and got it blazing again. Then he took the olive-wood pole, and sharpened one end, and plunged it into the red heart of the fire to harden, pulling it out at the right moment and hiding it under the piled sheep's dung against the cave wall. Back came the giant at sunset, and all happened again as the night before, save that this time, scenting danger in the air and thinking that they would be safer in the cave, he brought in his whole flock, rams and all. And well it was for the Greeks that he did so. Odysseus and his band had brought a jar of Maron's wine with them when they came exploring; and during the day Odysseus had filled one of the Cyclops' ivy-wood bowls with it, adding no drop of water to the rich and heady drink. And when the giant had eaten his hideous evening meal, Odysseus took it to him humbly as a slave, saying, "This will be better than milk for washing down human flesh." The giant drank, and smacked his lips over the goodness of it, and demanded another bowlful. Three times he drank and demanded more, and he grew very merry and swore that for such fine drink he would make the stranger a gift. "But first," he hiccuped, "you must tell me your name, that I may feel even more friendly toward you." "My name is Nobody," said Odysseus, who knew this kind of game. The giant let out a bellow of laughter. "Then I shall eat the rest of your company first, and Nobody last of all, and that shall be my gift to you." And, laughing still, he toppled over backward in wine-cup sleep, with his hair almost in the fringes of the fire. Then Odysseus brought the sharpened stake from its hiding place and made the point hot in the fire, while the rest of his band--there were but six of them now--stood round ready and waiting. And when the point glowed clear red, they took it up and with all their strength drove it into the giant's one eye and rammed it home, and Odysseus twirled it as though it were some mighty timber drill. The huge eyeball hissed, like hot iron when men plunge it into cold water to temper it, and the giant struggled to his knees and then to his feet with a frightful shriek, tearing the still glowing stake from his blood-streaming eye socket, and howling for help to his fellow Cyclops who lived in caves nearby. The giants came running, but checked outside the great entrance-stone, calling back, "Who is harming you, Polyphemus, that you wake us from our sleep with this uproar?" And the giant Polyphemus roared back, "Nobody is harming me! Nobody is killing me by his cunning!" "Then if nobody is harming you, you have no need of anyone to help you," shouted one of the giants. "If you are sick, pray to our father Poseidon, and maybe he will give you aid." Their grumbling voices grew fainter as they headed back to their own sleeping places. And the silent laughter stirred in Odysseus. Wailing in agony, the blinded giant fumbled his way to the cave entrance and heaved the stone aside to get the night coolness on his wound; but he sat down in the opening, stretching out his arms on either side so that if any of his captives tried to get out, he could feel and catch them. But Odysseus had a plan for that too. Working silently in the innermost part of the cave, he chose out the largest of the rams. And with long supple twigs drawn from the giant's sleeping place he bound them together in threes, with one of his men bound beneath the middle ram of each three, so that if the blind giant touched them he would feel only the outside rams. And the biggest and strongest ram of all he seized for himself, and clung to its underside by twisting his hands and feet in its thick belly fleece. By the time Odysseus had finished, it was the edge of dawn, and the sheep and goats were moving toward the cave entrance, where Polyphemus sat with his arms outstretched. He felt each of them as they jostled past, but could not know of the men hidden under the bellies of his finest beasts. The finest of all, burdened with Odysseus clinging under its belly, came last, and the giant fondled it, asking it sadly, "Dear ram, you who are so proud and beautiful and come always first among your fellows, why do you now come last ofall? Is it that you are slow with sorrow for your master, whom Nobody has blinded so that he cannot see your beauty anymore?" But all of them were through at last. And out on the open turf beyond the folds, Odysseus cut free his men; and they drove the sheep down toward the ship waiting on the tideline, Polyphemus shouting and stumbling far behind them as they went. The crew rejoiced at their coming, then wept for the death of six of their comrades. But there was no time for grieving, and Odysseus bade them load the sheep on board and push off for the islet where they had left the other ships. Then, seeing Polyphemus stumbling along the ragged clifftop, he cupped his hands about his mouth and bleated at him in mockery. That was not wise, for the sound gave their position away, and in fury the blind giant broke off the peak of a rocky hill and flung it after them. The rock fell just ahead of the ship and raised a wave that flung her back toward the shore; Odysseus shoved her off again with a stout pole, and his men bent to the oars, sending her leaping forward for open water. But Odysseus was still a little crazed with all that he had been through, and he shouted back, "If anyone asks who blinded you, tell them it was Odysseus, son of Laertes and Lord of Ithaca, Odysseus the Sacker of Cities!" And Polyphemus flung up his arms and prayed in fury and agony to the Lord Poseidon, "Hear me, blue-haired Poseidon. If I am your son indeed, then grant me that Odysseus, Sacker of Cities, if ever he comes again to his home, comes late and alone. And when he lands from a stranger's ship, let him find black trouble waiting for him!" And he heaved up another boulder, greater than the first, and hurled it in the direction of Odysseus' laughter. But this time it fell short and the wave that it made drove the ship forward on her way toward the islet where the rest of the fleet waited for them. The LORD  of the WINDS Their next landfall was the island of Aeolus, Lord of the Winds. Here, in a splendid palace walled with bronze and set above towering cliffs, Aeolus lived most happily with his six strong sons and six fair daughters, whom he had married to each other after the manner of the kings and queens of Egypt. Aeolus received Odysseus and his company with great kindness and sheltered them beneath his roof for a full month, while Odysseus told him the story of the siege of Troy and his own homeward voyage so far. And when the time came for them to continue on their way, Aeolus gave them fresh supplies for the voyage. To Odysseus himself he gave a bag made from a single oxhide in which he had tied up all the winds of the world save one, a gentle west wind to carry them safe home. The bag was made fast with silver cords and stowed beneath the rowing benches of Odysseus' ship; and Aeolus bade them on no account to open it until they were safely tied up in their home harbor. They sailed for nine days and nights never needing to touch the oars, with the west wind sweetly curving their sails; and during all that time Odysseus held his place at the steering-oar and would not trust it to anyone else. But on the tenth day they sighted Ithaca. Then Odysseus, worn out, and knowing by the familiar shape of his home hills lifting over the skyline that they were near the end of their seafaring, fell asleep. And while he slept, his crew, who had all along been filled with curiosity as to what was in the oxhide bag, began to talk among themselves.  

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Laurel Leaf; Reissue edition (December 13, 2005)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0553494821
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0553494822
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 17 years
• Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1220L
• Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.21 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.13 x 0.46 x 6.88 inches
• #76 in Teen & Young Adult Myths & Legends
• #1,682 in Teen & Young Adult Literature & Fiction
• #10,848 in Children's Books (Books)

About the author

Rosemary sutcliff.

Initially an art-school trained painter of miniatures, Rosemary Sutcliff’s first children's book was published in 1950, and from then on she devoted her time and talents to the writing of children's books and history novels, which have placed her name high in the field of contemporary children's literature and historical fiction. The UK Guardian newspaper called her a “writer of genius” in their obituary. Rosemary received an OBE in the 1975 Birthday Honours List, and a CBE in 1990.

Rosemary Sutcliff's novels won much critical acclaim in her lifetime and since. The best-known of her Roman novels is The Eagle of the Ninth, and the related trilogy of which the second, The Lantern Bearers, was awarded the 1959 Carnegie Medal. Her re-telling of the legend of Tristan and Iseult was highly highly recommended for the same award in 1972, once the award was opened up for re-awarding to the same author.

Rosemary Sutcliff was born in Surrey, the daughter of a naval officer. Later in her life she lived in Devon and then Sussex. At the age of two she contracted the progressively wasting Still's disease, and hence spent most of her life in a wheelchair. Sadly, Rosemary died in 1992 at the age of 72.

Customer reviews

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• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 82% 8% 5% 2% 4% 8%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 82% 8% 5% 2% 4% 5%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 82% 8% 5% 2% 4% 2%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 82% 8% 5% 2% 4% 4%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

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Customers say

Customers find the illustrations marvelous, nice, and colorful. They describe the language as fairly faithful to the poetic Homeric epithets of the original epic. Readers say the book is better suited to young children and keeps their interest. They also appreciate the excellent retelling of the Odyssey.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the illustrations in the book marvelous, nice, and colorful.

" LOTS of illustrations by a master , the writing so good that it will hold listeners/readers of almost any age...." Read more

"... Marvelous illustrations and accessible language makes my daughter beg for me to read to her each night...." Read more

"...The illustrations are top-rate and further serve to involve the junior reader...." Read more

"...the hardback edition are exactly the same, citing the book's wonderful illustrations ...." Read more

Customers find the language fairly faithful to the poetic Homeric epithets of the original epic. They say the writing is good and holds their interest. Readers say the book is easy to read, but still the whole story. They say the author does an excellent job summarizing the original with great factfulness. Readers also mention the classic stories are well-written.

"...It not only holds their interest and educates , but it will make certain that they will also advance beyond what they would otherwise accomplish...." Read more

"...The language is fairly faithful to the poetic “Homeric epithets” of the original epic, but is much more accessible for younger readers...." Read more

"...in such a way that my two students (grandkids) had no trouble listening to the books as I read them, and they both enjoyed the book very much as..." Read more

"...Marvelous illustrations and accessible language makes my daughter beg for me to read to her each night...." Read more

Customers say the book is better suited for young children. They also mention it's a great way to introduce a young reader to classical literature and keeps their interest. Readers also mention it's accessible for younger readers and perfect for teaching in middle school.

"...In my opinion, "The Wanderings of Odysseus" is a book better suited to young children ." Read more

"...“Homeric epithets” of the original epic, but is much more accessible for younger readers ...." Read more

"...The illustrations are top-rate and further serve to involve the junior reader ...." Read more

" Highly recommend for a young reader who might have also read the Percy Jackson series." Read more

Customers find the retelling excellent, easy to read, and colorful. They say the author captures the adventure, themes, and feel of the original. Readers also mention it's a wonderful introduction to Homer's classic.

"This was a great version of Homer ’s The Odyssey to use with my middle school ELA class (12 year olds)...." Read more

"...Even though this is a shortened version in prose, It does a solid job covering the tale of Odysseus's travels...." Read more

" Excellent retelling of the Odyssey by Rosemary Sutcliff." Read more

"Very colorful and well done story of Odysseus . I could put this under a document camera and teach with it." Read more

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