Thoreau the Poet-Naturalist (Barnes & Noble Digital Library)

This 1873 work was the first biography of Henry David Thoreau. Written from the perspective of a close friend, it contains much intimate knowledge which has since been cited by other biographers. Channing’s work is as much a eulogy as a life-story, tracing Thoreau’s early days and chronicling his many interests: reading, writing, nature, philosophy, and even sports.