Tramp Royale is a nonfiction travelogue by science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein, describing how he and his wife, Ginny, went around the world by ship and plane between 1953–1954. It was not published until 1992, and subsequently went out of print. Much of the book is devoted to social and political commentary and observation, including two lengthy but half-hearted defenses of the McCarthy hearings, which the Heinleins were interrogated about repeatedly in the countries they visited. Although Heinlein has been adopted as somewhat of a posterboy by the libertarian movement, the political commentary reveals that Heinlein was far from being a doctrinaire adherent of any particular political philosophy. For example, he compares the social welfare state of New Zealand unfavorably to that of Uruguay, and says he cannot explain why the one was so much more successful than the other. Read more - Shopping-Enabled Wikipedia on Amazon
This potboiler travelogue is the record of a 1953 jaunt around the world by the prolific SF writer ( Stranger in a Strange Land ) and his wife. Unpublished until now, the book tells of bargains that no longer exist, landmarks that have disappeared, and standard tourist experiences with natives, customs officers, tipping, hotels and transportation. The late Heinlein's (1907-1988) comments on the countries he visited are dated, facile and sometimes embarrassing, as when he approves of the Buenos Aires slums for their cleanliness, or praises Peron for his love of children, or criticizes foreigners for their failure to appreciate Sen. Joseph McCarthy. The work has little by way of style or insight to warrant its resurrection, but as his widow explains in her diffident introduction, she unearthed it when Heinlein's editor requested his unpublished manuscripts. Alas, his fans may be hard put to know what to do with it.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
