First published in 1992 Latest edition: 1996 Publisher: Ace Books Paperback ISBN 0441004091 Previous editions

Are you interested in this book? Just click here to get it at Reviews     When any great writer dies, he leaves behind a legion of admirers who mourn the fact that his pen will never issue another work. Such was the case when, in 1988, Robert Heinlein succumbed to pulmonary disease. No more Heinleins on the shelves? What a bleak prospect. My own desolation was mitigated somewhat in 1990, when a fellow heinleinophile told me that a book called Grumbles from the Grave, a compilation of letters (mostly between Heinlein, John Campbell and Heinlein's agent, Lurton Blassingame), had been published the previous year. Blessed reprieve! I devoured Grumbles. . . . and in so doing, noted that Heinlein made mention of an unpublished "travel book" in his files. Fervently, I wished to be able to read it, and lo, a fairy godmother (in the form of Virginia Heinlein) granted my wish in 1992, with the publication of that manuscript as Tramp Royale.     Tramp opens with Heinlein announcing to his wife that they have a little too much money lying around and that they will be going on a round-the-world trip. After sorting through a great deal of consular red tape, they embark on a sea journey from New Orleans down along the west coast of South America. Thence, the Heinleins fly across the Andes to Buenos Aires, sail up the coast to visit São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and then cross the Atlantic to South Africa, with a call at Tristan da Cunha mid-journey. From there, they sail east, touring the island countries of the Indian Ocean, finally ending up in Australia and New Zealand. And in spite of Mrs. Heinlein's terror of flying, they make the last leg of their journey in airplanes, via Fiji and Hawaii.     While in each country, Heinlein sketches a general picture of life there as he sees it, fleshing it in liberally with anecdotes and opinions. Heinlein's perceptions are limited in Latin America and other places with a language barrier, but he does his level best to tell us what he knows; the language difference does not hobble his keen empathy. In my opinion, he does a superb job of capturing the painstakingly polite manner of speech and behavior of Latin Americans, even though his Spanish is largely limited to `por favor' and `gracias' (the latter phrase he mistakenly uses in Brazil, as well). In anglophone countries, on the other hand, Heinlein is in his element, thoroughly engaged with the people and situations he encounters, and more often able to transcend mere reporting.     In addition to the cultural commentary and travel tips, Heinlein gives readers a glimpse of his life with Virginia Heinlein, whom he refers to throughout the book as "Ticky." The repartee exchanged by the couple seems close to the kind of badinage Heinlein includes in his post-Stranger fiction, and I wonder if they really talked to one another that way, or if Heinlein is simply taking artistic license with their dialogue. Perhaps both are true. In any case, Heinlein appears to have had his hands full with Ticky, whom he describes as an anarchist, and who spends a good portion of the book rebelling against the status quo, as when, in a hilarious episode, she smuggles packs of American cigarettes past South African customs, tucked here and there about her person. Small wonder that Heinlein found it necessary to pack barbiturates.     Essentially, Tramp Royale is an Eisenhower-era period piece. Heinlein's description of the famous Raffles Hotel in Singapore will not help today's traveler to the Far East, nor will his advice on politesse and pidgin Spanish necessarily save the 1990s tourist from falling victim to the current crime wave in Latin America. I also get the sense that Heinlein is not quite sure whether he wants to recount the tale of his 1954 round-the-world voyage, issue advice and guidance to the traveler, or expound on the political issues of 1950s America, using the countries he visits as foils. Heinlein manages to accomplish all three with occasionally unsatisfying, though eminently entertaining results. Tramp Royale may not fall into any one category, but it is as entertaining and thought-provoking as anything Heinlein ever wrote. ~~~Beth Ager Excerpts Heinlein on South Africa:     It is a wonderful country, a glorious country. We liked everything about it--except the race problem. Which is like liking the Pacific Ocean except for the water in it. Heinlein dissuading his wife from purchasing a second home in Hawaii:     "'Look, baby, my name is not Ford, nor Morgan, nor Rockefeller. You probably should have married that Philadelphia banker chap, assuming that you could have hooked him. As it is, I can't afford two households, neither the initial cost, nor the overhead. I have to write like mad, an overworked hack, just to keep up with your whims, and--'     "'I didn't want to travel,' she broke in. `I merely wanted to build a greenhouse. Traveling was your idea.'     "One simply cannot hold a woman to the point in a discussion. `Never mind that,' I answered with dignity. 'The point is that, after all, you can't have everything.'     "'Why not?' she wanted to know.     "I have never been able to think of an answer to that one, not one which is emotionally convincing. 'The cat won't like it,' I said feebly, and shut up, which I should have done much sooner." Back to The Heinlein Book Bin Index