A self-proclaimed "wandering American," Thomas Wallace Knox was born to Nehemiah Critchett Knox and Jane Wallace Knox in Pembroke, New Hampshire, on 26 June 1835. He was a self-fashioned bohemian spirit with one foot firmly planted in the provincial as well as a jovial companion and sympathetic listener. His early life might be characterized as an attempt to balance the demands of his schooling and the lure of the New Hampshire foothills, though more often than not the latter won out. From his childhood Knox demonstrated skill with the French language (an active interest in languages and linguistic differences would long continue to hold his attention) and exhibited a keen sense of wonder that he would carry with him throughout his life. As an adult this balancing act would manifest itself both in his uncanny ability to ask and to anticipate particular questions of general interest and in his astute...