Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World

Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World, by Matthew Goodman is a darn good story, full of little known facts, offering a more than a snapshot of late nineteenth century America and the journalism and prejudices of the time, and providing a bit of a cautionary tale.

While the story of Nelly Bly’s “race” around the world is the center of the book, there's good context provided of the run-up to the event. Indeed, much of the meat of the book is life after the race. I hadn't known about Elizabeth Bisland (who’s actually a much more likable character – especially in the sense that I’d have liked to have been like her).

PS: Nelly did the trip with but one dress. Elizabeth a good bit more!

There are beautiful descriptions of the places that Nelly and Elizabeth visit and an interesting perspective on how steam power (ships and trains) changed the world so quickly.

Much of the book takes place after the race, and does drag a bit; there’s some repetition and the book could probably have been edited a little more firmly, but the way it addresses celebrity, and its impact on Nelly Bly’s life, is thought-provocative. B+

I found that I was surprised most how the world around me has changed so much from 1883 to now.....and how these two women lived, whether at home or abroad. How lucky I am.

I loved hearing about the foreign countries and thier customs, etc.

Well, it's more of a first hand account, rather than just a news story.

I didn't have an extreme reaction, but they certainly were much more brave about thier undertaking than I would be even in the present day. I neither laughed nor cried, I was more surprised at thier gumption! And some of the people they spoke with...Mr & Mrs Jules Verne and Mr. Pulitzer among others. A very interesting book, for sure!

I read a lot of history, especially American history, but I was barely aware of Nellie Bly and her story until I read this book. I really enjoyed reading it. An easy and engaging listen.

I would not recommend to a friend. There was so much potential for this book. Excellent subject matter! I really had to concentrate to stay interested in the book. It was so dry. I think it could have been terrific if told in the first person by each woman. The things these woman saw was described adequately. What was missing for me was the emotion they felt.

Can you imagine how excited, terrified, liberated, angry, fortunate they must felt? I wanted to hear about how they felt as they saw these things. And they were two totally different woman who had 2 totally different experiences. I could not remember which woman's trip was being told. They both sounded exactly the same, outside of physical location.

Because this story never reached into their brains, I felt bored. It was more of a travel log than a story. I didn't feel any desire to be these woman, know them or lived in the period. To me, that makes a historical novel a success, I should wish I could have been right there. With this book, I just kept checking to see how much time I had left to be done.

Nope.

I would not have even finished the book except for her pleasant performance.

Yes, it would be better as a movie than it was a book. A director would give the woman some emotion and opinions.

As I listened to this book, I was amazed at the careers both women had and upset with myself for not knowing at least Nelly Bly. I started researching both women on the net during and after reading this book. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any historical fans.

this book is very long, but describes in beautiful detail, the excitement of adventure in traveling around the world to beat the clock before the invention of planes, or phones. Two women, who travel alone, when women were not thought of highly. There is adventure, but also a complete biography of both women. I loved it.

I have no idea, what I would like to see available are more tales of intrepid, female Victorian
travelers.

Matthew Goodman has written a fascinating biography of two women who managed to travel around the world alone at a time when women were generally prevented from achieving anything alone. One traveled eastward, the other westward, both at the behest of their bosses in an effort to improve circulation of the publications for which the women worked. The adventures and experiences of these women were similar and different because the women themselves were alike but also different in many ways. Listeners will "see" the world in 1889-1890 through the eyes of Bly and Bisland while getting a biography of all Americans at that same time and seeing the rise of the United States foreshadowed in their experiences and lives. I highly recommend the story and the narrator, Kathe Mazur. I'll be looking for more books written by Goodman and others narrated by Mazur.

Adventurous. Informative, Entertaining

Nellie Bly - Reminds me of myself but with more gutts.

Yes

When she met with Jules Verne in France

Good Read!

I didn't love this book although I really wanted to. The author seemed more interested in the general history of the time than in his main story line. There were far too many segues and non-sequitors for my liking, and there was something in the tone that made me think the author strongly disliked his subjects. At the end of the day this is too long to be worth picking up as a filler and probably not worth reading for fun.