Autor: Peter Monteath

Friedrich Gerstäcker was born in Hamburg in 1816. Inspired by the writing of Daniel Defoe, he set off for America in 1837 intending to become a farmer, and sent his mother a diary of his adventures. He returned to Germany in 1843 to discover that his mother had been publishing his diaries in a periodical to great popularity, and so his career as a best-selling writer began. Over the course of his adventurous life Gerstäcker travelled to both the Americas, Tahiti, Indonesia, Egypt, and Australia. His trips were funded by a fruitful relationship with his publisher, and his considerable output was devoured by a legion of devoted readers, making Gerstäcker a household name for many years. Friedrich Gerstäcker died in 1872, suffering a stroke while preparing for a trip to Asia.