''Tramp Royale'' is a nonfiction travelogue by science fiction writer

Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...

, describing how he and his wife,

Ginny Ginny or Ginnie is an English feminine given name or diminutive, frequently of Virginia. People Virginia *Ginny Arnell (born 1942), American singer and songwriter born Virginia Mazarro * Ginny Blackmore (born 1986), New Zealand singer and songwrit ...

, went around the world by ship and plane between 1953 and 1954. It was published posthumously in 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 McCarthy (also spelled MacCarthy or McCarty) may refer to: * MacCarthy, a Gaelic Irish clan * McCarthy, Alaska, United States * McCarty, Missouri, United States * McCarthy Road, a road in Alaska * McCarthy (band), an indie pop band * Château MacCa ...

, about which the Heinleins were interrogated 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 that he cannot explain why the one was so much more successful than the other. Heinlein devoted an entire chapter to his (almost) visit to

Tristan da Cunha Tristan da Cunha (), colloquially Tristan, is a remote group of volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, lying approximately from Cape Town in South Africa, from Saint Helena a ...

, arguably the most remote human settlement on Earth. He described the islands as being so far from the rest of human civilization that the next closest human settlement,

St. Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constit ...

, " sitself so remote that it was picked as a safe prison for

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

after he crushed his way out of

Elba Elba ( it, isola d'Elba, ; la, Ilva) is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano Nationa ...

". Tristan da Cunha is from St. Helena. This trip, along with Heinlein's experiences as a naval officer, appears to have provided a great deal of the background material for some of Heinlein's science fiction novels, such as passenger liners used in ''

Podkayne of Mars ''Podkayne of Mars'' is a science-fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialised in '' Worlds of If'' (November 1962, January, March 1963), and published in hardcover in 1963. The novel features a teenage girl name ...

'' (in space) and in '' Job: A Comedy of Justice'' (on the oceans). Much of the humor in the book consists of riffs on the idea that Ginny is the hothead, while Robert is the easygoing one. For example, in a shipboard incident at the captain's table, Robert continues eating his dessert after being doused in salad during a food fight started by Ginny.

References

External links

* * {{Heinlein (books) 1992 non-fiction books Books by Robert A. Heinlein American travel books Books published posthumously Ace Books books