Herbert George Wells was born on September 21, 1866 in Bromley, Kent, England to Joseph Wells and Sarah Neal. He was the youngest of four children. In 1874, Wells suffered from a broken leg and was bedridden. His father would bring him books from the local library to occupy his time. Wells was swept into the various worlds the books offered, inspiring him to later write. In 1875, Wells started studies at Thomas Morley’s Commercial Academy. He explained, when later prompted about his experience, that the school was primarily focused on producing copperplate handwriting and doing the sort of sums useful to tradesmen. In 1877, Wells’ father, Joseph, fractured his thigh. This ended his career as a cricketer. The family was unable to support themselves financially, so the Wells sons were forced into apprenticeship in various occupations. From 1879 to 1880, H. G. Wells had a brief stint as a pupil-teacher at the National School at Wookey in Somerset and a chemist’s apprentice in Midhurst. He also had a brief stay as a boarder in Midhurst Grammar School. From 1880 to 1883, H. G. Wells was a draper apprentice at Hyde’s Drapery Emporium in Southsea. His work days were long, at thirteen hours, and the nights uncomfortable, having to sleep in a dormitory with others. This experience inspired his novels The Wheels of Chance, The History of Mr Polly, and Kipps. Other notable works by H. G. Wells are The Outline of History, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The War of the Worlds.